Musquiqui Chihying's solo exhibition Ghost in the Sea: Musquiqui Chihying Solo Exhibition is on view at the Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-LAB).
Ghost in the Sea: Musquiqui Chihying Solo Exhibition
Exhibition period: 30 March - 12 May, 2024
Venue: Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-LAB)
Implied in the exhibition title, Ghost in the Sea, is the artist's allusion to a dual interpretation of "ghost" that haunt the seas of Asia and Africa: firstly, the overlooked role of ethnic Chinese in the mechanisms of globalization; and secondly, the intangible data transmitted through the ersatz neural network of submarine cables. From labor exportation to technological dissemination, the ancient Maritime Silk Road, Asian coolies, modern submarine cables, and the concept of smart cities combine to construct the world in this narrative. However, grey areas are pervasive in this world: the ideological entanglements of free trade, the insidious narratives of fear grounded in racism, and unresolved security concerns inherent in comprehensive surveillance technologies.
The artist's explorations of the role of the ethnic Chinese in global trade are visually manifested in several images within the exhibition. For instance, in the portraits of coolies displayed in museums, the depiction on low-denomination bank notes and on commemorative coins celebrating smart cities, etc. In the video installation, The Link, Chihying employs a distinct absurdist linguistic style to portray two Matrix-style program: Seraph, who operates in a Hakka dialect; and Oracle, speaking in Zulu – as they engage in a profound dialogue:
Seraph: ”What is intelligence, you ask? The analyzer of data. The inspector of patterns.” Oracle: ”The avatar of digital twins. The oracle of the future flow. The ghost in the sea.”
Text and image courtesy of the artist and the Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-LAB).
Learn more --
https://clab.org.tw/en/events/ghost-sea
