Artwork Appreciation
SHEN Chao-Liang has traveled throughout Taiwan and collected a series of photographic works that document the various forms of electric parade floats. STAGE 1 shows electric parade floats switching on their lights and performance stages as the sun sets. These brilliantly colored vehicles showcase images from various countries, contrasting sharply against the rural and rustic countryside. Electric parade floats first appeared in the 1970s and were commonly observed in marriages, funerals, and other forms of mass celebrations, and became increasingly focused on providing banal entertainment as time progressed. SHEN Chao-Liang’s photographs of parade floats serve to showcase the unique landscape of popular folk culture in Taiwan.