For 'Jelly Gen' the world is flat

An exhibition of 100 works from more than 32 young Taiwanese artists suggests they share many of the same qualities as China's so-called "Jelly Generation".

The phrase, coined by Zhang Qing, vice director of the Shanghai Art Museum, which is hosting the show, refers to artists born after 1980 and the diverse styles, colorful expression, fresh ideas and lighthearted attitude found in their works.

Such characteristics can be seen in young artists on either side of the Taiwan Straits as both tend to infuse their art with Japanese Manga-inspired images, record Cosplay video clips and produce installation art critiquing such modern evils as consumerism.

Zhang said it was no surprise to see such an overlap between the two groups.

"The world is flat: whatever youngsters on the Chinese mainland see, they see it on the other side of the Taiwan Straits," Zhang said at the opening of the "Super Generation @ Taiwan" exhibition on Dec 14.

Organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei, this comes in response to last year's "Jelly Gen" exhibition in the MoCA Taipei. At the time, curator Zhang Qing presented the work of mainland artists and invited healthy debate on a range of issues while drawing attention to rising young artists.

"We wanted to highlight young artists' conflicting ideas about the world," said Lin Yuchieh, curator of the Super Generation show.

One of its highlights is a small room designed to look like an altar for consumerism, replete with name-brand logos stacked in the shape of a crucifix and a sign saying "Defy or Deify". The artist, known as KEA, manages to satirize consumerism while profiting from it at the same time - all of his works, including the wallpaper, can be purchased at his boutique shop in Taipei.

Meanwhile Chang Chia-ying creates fantastic worlds that are reminiscent of French artist Henri Rousseau. Known for their approximation of symmetry, her surrealistic paintings often feature dolls and creatures with huge eyes. Chang also placed a computer in the exhibition space so visitors can create new pictures by piecing together her images.

"I don't shift between different subjects very often. I've worked on this series for six or seven years. This is my dream world," she says.

This is the first time that MoCA Taipei has brought an exhibition to the Chinese mainland since it opened eight years ago.

Until Jan 3, 9 am-5 pm

Shanghai Art Museum 325 Nanjing Road W

南京西路325号，上海美术馆

Tel: 6327-2829

Tickets: 20 yuan

(China Daily 12/26/2009 page14)