Xindian Boys
Xindian Boys consists of four artists par excellence, namely Tsong Pu, Chen Shun-Chu, Wu Tung-Lung, and Su Hui-Yu. They respectively belong to three different generations and adopt different creative media such as painting, installation, photography, and video. The four artists presented their first collaborative video artwork The Best Day in 2012. The scene in this work was shot in the mountains of Wu-Lai. The artists firstly recorded a concatenation of motions with 360 degree high-speed photography, and then edited the images into a video without the outset and the coda. By virtue of the concept of circle/circulation, the content of this video not only demonstrated a harmonious relationship between the nature and humanity but also emanated an aura of oriental philosophy. The conception of their new three-channel video installation 0343 has been developed since 2013. However, it was suspended as soon as Chen Shun-Chu was diagnosed with cancer. In spring 2014 on the way of an excursion, the four artists surprisingly found that the Tsu-Keng Power Station, the second hydroelectric power plant in the history of Taiwan, was still in operation and whose classical architectural feature contrasted starkly with the wild, tranquil surroundings. The philosophical speculation over the primitive mountain forest, the century-old power station, and the seriously ill man, as well as the counterpoints of nature vs. artificiality, body vs. spirit, and power vs. energy collectively reflected the main theme that ran through this new work. Unfortunately, Chen Shun-Chu succumbed to cancer in October 2014. The other three members fulfilled their commitment on completing this collaborative artwork.
