TAO ART Presents 'FOMO: Fear of Missing Out' by Wang Jiajia
ByJenevieve KokImage courtesy of TAO ART
On 13 June, TAO ART kicked off the summer with a solo exhibition 'FOMO: Fear of Missing Out' by Beijing-born artist Wang Jiajia. This exhibition marked Wang's first show in Taipei, which will run until 5 September 2020. The exhibition features a series of multimedia works - such as oil paintings, lightboxes, lenticular prints, and sculptures - spanning across the spaces. The exhibition is split into two contrasting rooms; the darker, purple-hued room offers a sharp contrast to the brighter room in terms of the works they accommodate. Together, they lead the audience through an anxious, flat digital world eager for a connection to something else, giving the them the opportunity to wander through Wang Jiajia's unstrained psychedelic brushstrokes.
Image courtesy of TAO ART
Wang Jiajia primarily works on paintings, but this exhibition showcases sculptures, lenticular prints, and light boxes that replicate that of American pizzerias. The purple lights create a psychedelic scene harmouniously blending the electronic and digital elements in Wang's works. His philosophy echos throughout the spaces - we live in a confusing electronic world with overwhelming messages.
Image courtesy of TAO ART
In this exhibition, Wang Jiajia's works feature large eyes amid formless creatures that are shaped by exaggerated strokes and colours. These glaring eyes hold audiences' gaze, expressing emotions of fear, agony, and heartlessness.
The artist retrieves these images from the internet and includes them on his canvases as backgrounds. He then destroys the images with his brush, and the eyes become clues reverberating the message: “fear of missing out”. This exhibition speaks of our effort in looking for relevance while always missing out something in the digital torrent.
Founder of TAO ART, Vicky Chen, Image courtesy of TAO ART
The music industry's leading producer and collector Chien Yao came across into Wang Jiajia's works in Beijing. His works left an impression on Chien, especially the artist's deft skills in dealing with the multi-faceted, complicated practices of art in this era.
"In his new exhibition in Taipei, what caught my attention the most was his use of colours, which demonstrates the rhythms and beats derived from the digital monitors, yet everything looks so natural in his works. They are in perfect order without a trace of mess, as if these digital items have already integrated with our flesh and blood and become parts of nature." - Chien Yao
Image courtesy of TAO ART
Earlier this year, TAO ART debuted its first show Queering Umwelt during Taipei Dangdai, a newly founded international art fair. With Taiwanese artist Yu Cheng-Ta and Singaporean artist Ming Wong's iconic collective, Watermelon Sister, the exhibition mirrored the various connections in the everyday life, finding one's own identity through the act of drag and performance. It challenged the long tradition with the flow of sensation, manifesting TAO ART's aim to find a distinctive position in the art world.
Wang Jiajia, Image courtesy of TAO ART
About the Artist
Born in 1985, Wang Jiajia currently splits his time between Beijing and London. He migrated to the UK as a child, and his experiences were nourished by these two cultures. He received his Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree from Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design in 2008. Pop culture, where his passion lies, has strong influence on him; video games, cartoons, lyrics, movies, sports, and internet memes are all integrated into his works.
His recent series, 'Adventure', combines digital collages, abstract paintings, and screen printing techniques together, showcasing images extracted from vintage video games, a logo from a British TV show, and apparel designs of football teams. Wang Jiajia presents an intense déjà vu through the use of visual cues by imitating the "clickbait" on social media. The thick application of paint and vibrant colors reinforce the digitally retouched background images. His recent exhibitions also include Elegant, Circular, Timeless by SPURS GALLERY, Beijing (2020); Pop the Champagne by Boers-Li Gallery, Beijing (2018); and Alternate Realities by Desarthe Gallery, Beijing (2016).
Vicky Chen, Image courtesy of TAO ART
About the Gallery
Founded by Vicky Chen and her father, TAO ART is a brand new art space that integrates collections and exhibitions in the same place. The interior is designed by Japanese architect Jun Aoki based on the idea of an "urban garden", combining classical and modern elements along with contemporary lifestyles to demonstrate how art lives with us through the gallery’s white cubes, tea house, and living rooms. TAO ART centers on collectors and the promotion of art, making itself a powerful platform contributing to the Taiwanese and international contemporary art scene. The space is committed to organizing contemporary art exhibitions, forums, and events as an organic art space, and bridges the gap between the local and international art world. The word "TAO" means "to provide a place in the urban jungle, the secret place of breathing", derived from the famous book "Peach Blossom Spring" by Tao Yuanming during the Jin Dynasty.
Exhibition Dates: 13 June - 5 September 2020
Address: 8F, No. 79-1, Zhouzi Street, Neihu District, Taipei City
Opening Hours: Tues - Sun, 11am - 7pm
