It’s delighted to be invited to participate in a guided tour of Isa Ho: Spatial Disorientation – Westbeth Project, organized by Double Square Gallery at Taipei Fine Arts Museum in late June. The event, co-hosted by renowned curator and owner of Double Square Gallery, Hu Chao Sheng, and his represented artist Isa Ho, introduced the artist’s Westbeth Project, which began in 2013 and chronicles the lives of artists residing in New York’s Westbeth Artists Housing.
The exhibition is divided into three sections. In “Space I”, Ho uses documentary films and interactive images to present captivating stories from the lives of four artists. When the audience approaches the artwork, a video will be activated, through which the audience and the life in the apartments can be re-imagined right on the spot.
In “Space II”, Ho uses static installations to recreate the furnishings of the apartments, presenting spatial arrangements that change in alignment with the aging of the bodies. The Westbeth housing is a pioneer in reusing unused space in industrial buildings in the U.S. Founded in 1968 under funding from the J.M. Kaplen Fund and the National Endowment for the Arts, it was the first commissioned project by Richard Meier ,1 known as one of the “New York Five” architects. The space is designed to be an integrated and self-sustaining community where arts and cultural activities can be nurtured.
In “Space III,” Ho captures specific moments from the artists’ lives and collages them into photographs using Taiwanese window frames and elements. She uses her own experience as the perspective of interpretation, allowing the stories to be translated through the artists’ language, so that the history hidden in the old apartments can be more accessible.
After the guided tour, the art team proceeded to the DH Café to view Ho’s printed photography work, while enjoying tasty refreshments and exchanging views with other art aficionados.
1Richard Meier’s most recent work in Taipei is the famous high-end residence in Xinyi District, “55 Timeless”.
