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Expo/ Epidemic distance 疫常的距離 2021.10.30-12.26 (MoCA Taipei)

Updated: Oct 31, 2021



The COVID-19 pandemic that hit Taiwan in 2021 brought collective panic to the society and impacted economic activities in daily life in Taipei’s Chengbei area. During those days, the media coverage reported suspected positive cases based on h


earsay, social media overflowed with speculation of transmission route, and rumors of the city’s lockdown led to panic-buying and hoarding of commodities. The business district lost its popularity to this frenzied situation, forming a sharp contrast with the streets that used to be crowded and noisy. With the implementation of prevention measures, social distancing has repositioned the relationship between people. The Zero-contact economy has spurred the development of technological application demand and service innovation. The post-pandemic era has forced us to face drastic changes in the lifestyle that we were accustomed to, constantly stimulating evolution in business operations. The pandemic’s new norm has become a model for us to learn to live symbiotically.


The curatorial theme of “Epidemic Distance” aims to present artists’ observation of the impact of the pandemic on the daily life of Chengbei, reflecting the adjustment and transformation of neighborhood business, community ecology, and personal physical and mental status under the effects of preventive distancing. Artists conducted field research in Zhongshan and Shuanglian and interviewed various businesses — including Nanxi Commercial district, lodging operators, niche shops on Chifeng Street, and Shuanglian Market — to understand their hardships and struggles. They also listened to the chiefs of sub-districts sharing their toils at the local level, who had put aside their scruples of the risk of getting infected to soothe anxious people and devote to public affairs, including supporting the minorities, distributing epidemic prevention materials, and preparing name list for vaccine injection. During the pandemic, the interference of man-made factors has been reduced, offering the ecology of the community’s open space a chance to breathe and repair. Hence, the clear water and swimming fish once again visited the stone masonry ditch of Miyamaecho. In addition, the pandemic also unexpectedly slowed down the pace of urban lifestyle, allowing us to compose ourselves to examine the management of close relationships and come again to think about the essence of life.


2021年一場震盪臺灣的COVID-19疫情,為社會帶來集體恐慌,也衝擊臺北市城北街區日常的經濟活動。在那段日子裡,媒體捕風捉影報導疑似確診數據,網路鋪天蓋地猜測病毒擴散路徑,封城謠言四起爆發民生物資搶購囤積,種種現象的不安急凍商圈人潮消散隱蔽,和過往繁榮喧鬧的街道形成強烈對比。在宣導防疫政策的落實下,社交距離儼然重新定位人與人連結的關係,零接觸經濟則帶動科技應用需求與服務創新的開發。後疫情時代迫使我們賴以習慣的生活模式面臨劇烈的改變,不斷刺激商業運作產生變革,讓疫情帶來的新日常成為我們學習共生的型態。

「疫常的距離」策展主軸,乃觀察疫情對城北生活場景的影響,反映防疫距離在街區商業、社區生態,以及個人身心之三種層面的調適與轉變。藝術家們田調中山雙連一帶各式行業樣態,包含南西商圈、旅宿業者、赤峰街風格小店、双連市集,訪談他們經歷疫情波及的辛苦與掙扎;除此,也傾聽里長承擔社區防疫的基層,如何拋開染疫風險的顧忌,安撫里民精神緊繃的焦慮,推動弱勢關壞、物資發送、疫苗造冊等相關公共事務。而疫情期間人為因素的干擾降低,讓社區隙地空間的生態,得以有喘息與修復的機會,重現百年宮前町砌石大溝的清澈水質和魚群悠游。再者,「疫」外放慢了都市人的生活步調,使我們能靜下心來審視近身關係的經營,回歸生活本質的思考。



Exhibited works ''Inter-terra'' by Chieh-sen Chiu


“Any description of the world is based on geography. Therefore, it involves the concept of expression.” ── Nicolas Borriaud The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the exchange of the world. CHIU Chieh-Sen takes Chengbei, the corridor of the city, as inspiration and proposes a solution to relieve the public’s desire to go abroad. As a stand-in for the actual field, the map is an essential medium for knowing a place. CHIU sets up his works in the city’s hallways and public spaces in department stores. Department store represents modern commerce. It provides imported products from all over the world to the lives of every citizen, creates cultural exchanges, and forms an emotional ground. Inter-terra establishes a worldview through paper maps in which an abstract network is constructed from aesthetics. Therefore, it presents a corner of Taipei City and includes Taipei City in the universe, which is infinitely expanding and connecting like a neural network.


參展作品《網絡世》

「任何關於世界的描述,都是基於地理。涉及表現方式的概念。」── Nicolas Borriaud


COVID-19疫情暫時阻斷了世界的交流活動,看不見的病毒拉大彼此間的心理距離,因此邱杰森藉由「圖式拓樸」的創作方式,提出「有機鏈結」拉近彼此間的心理距離。


「地圖」作為物理空間的現實替身,是認識地方的重要媒介。邱杰森將作品設置於臺北商業匯聚的城北區域百貨公司穿堂,隱喻著世界各地的舶來品以百貨公司為集散地,進入市民的日常生活之中,並透過人流、物流與金流,將商業網絡實體化,進而形塑城市的集體記憶。


本作品以真實的地圖紙本拆解、編排,重新組合成另類的俯視風景,藉由美學形式建構成的抽象網絡,呈現的不單是臺北城的一隅,而是臺北城被包容在世界之中,如同神經網絡般串連世界的一個總體樣貌。


│ 作品設置地點與開放時間 │

新光三越南西店一館光之舞廣場(中山區南京西路12號 )

開放時間:11:00 – 21:30



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