Hiding a Tree in a Forest

Artists' Cabinets of Curiosities

As art has become more accessible over time, the public has grown accustomed to viewing artworks in dedicated spaces. Exhibition visits have become a regular part of our lives, whether for educational purposes or leisure. While artworks have always been the primary focus of exhibitions, physical constraints often render artists invisible behind their creations. Unless one carefully reads the information labels or conducts additional online research, most people's knowledge of the artist remains shrouded in mystery.

In recent years, recreating artists' studio spaces has become increasingly important in exhibitions. Audience curiosity now extends beyond the artworks themselves, as people seek to understand the creative process through various means of "approaching" the artist.

"The allure and uniqueness of an artist's role in society are key to shaping the value of their work."

Art Bank Taiwan aims to bring artists into the spotlight through a range of curatorial strategies and creative collaborations. In celebration of our 10th anniversary, we created a thematic section on our website, inviting artists to share insights into their creative journeys as well as their lives outside their artistic careers.Building on this concept, we now present Hiding a Tree in a Forest: Artists' Cabinets of Curiosities, a series of exhibitions staged in display windows, each showcasing the personal collections of a different artist. These windows offer a glimpse into the sources of an artist's creative energy and reveal the human side of their collecting habits.

An Artist's Cabinet of Curiosities

The idea of a "Cabinet of Curiosities" originated from spaces used by European aristocrats to collect and display rare artifacts, eventually becoming one of the precursors to modern museums.

In this exhibition series, artists' collections serve as repositories of creative inspiration, similar to keyword search results. The artists' love for these objects and the imagination they inspire nourish creative activities.

The exhibition's title, "Hiding a Tree in a Forest," is a quote from Tao Hui Shu (literally The Art of Hiding One's Light Under a Bushel) by YANG Shen (1488-1559).

It conveys the idea that a tree hidden in a forest becomes invisible to the public, a metaphor advising talented individuals to keep a low profile.

We reinterpret this concept: by "hiding" artists' works among their collections, we enable viewers to see both the "tree" and the "forest." Our hope is that audiences will recognize how the artists' works reflect the rich cultural, political, scientific, and social contexts embodied in their collected objects.