Hsu Chia-Wei, a Taiwan-based artist and filmmaker, is a graduate of France’s Le Fresnoy-Studio national des arts contemporains. By unpuacking the complex production mechanisms behind film production, he presents works that make connections between people, materials, and places that have been overlooked and excluded from the narrative of conventional history. Hsu exhibited his work in the Taiwan Pavilion at the 55th Venice Biennale (2013), and he was also a Hugo Boss Asia Art Award finalist that year. In addition to participating in international exhibitions in Singapore, Shanghai, Gwangju, Busan, Sydney, and other cities, he has shown his work in Japan. In 2018 he mounted MAM Screen 009 at Mori Art Museum (Tokyo) and he also participated in Theater Commons Tokyo ’18 (Tokyo). His works have also been shown at the National Museum of Art, Osaka and other venues. Hsu also plays an indispensable role in the Asian art scene as a curator. For example, he served as the curator for the Taiwan International Video Art Exhibition (2018; Taipei) and as joint curator of the 2019 Asian Art Biennial (Taichung) along with Ho Tzu Nyen.

Now, based on the Minecraft game platform that is extremely popular around the world, Hsu has created a VR work that mixes together historical events with the present. Visitors to the exhibition space sit on a dais covered in tan-colored tiles and don a VR headset. The exhibition is realized in collaboration with the INAX MUSEUMS (LIXIL Corporation), located in Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture. A variety of scenes are reproduced in the game space. These include scenes of Tokoname, a city built on the pottery industry; traditional climbing kilns; the Central Japan International Airport (Centrair); and the old Imperial Hotel, which was covered in yellow brick made in Tokoname. Here, narratives about humankind and materials, and the modernization of Japan and Asia and the mining industry are presented. As the audience explores the 360-degree VR world, they will experience the critical stories that Hsu brings together in 3D.

 * This VR work is not an official Minecraft product. It has not been approved by Mojang and is not affiliated with Mojang.

Selected Works & Awards

2021

Liang Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan

2019

Tung Chung Art Award: Giant Panda, Deer, Malayan Tapir and East India Company, Museum of National Taipei University of Education, Taiwan

2019

Singapore Biennale

2019

A Tale of Hidden Histories, Eye Filmmuseum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

2019

2019 Asian Art Biennial, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, Taiwan (Curator)

2018

MAM Screen 009: Hsu Chia-Wei, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan

2018

Shanghai Biennale, China

2018

Gwangju Biennale, Korea

2018

Busan Biennale, Korea

2018

Biennial of Sydney, Australia

2018

Taiwan International Video Art Exhibition, Hong-Gah Museum, Taipei, Taiwan (Curator)

Exhibition

• Installation view at Aichi Triennale 2022
• Earthcraft, 2022
• Photo: ToLoLo studio