Artwork Appreciation
CHANG I-Yun’s Homeland Defend shows a military dependents’ village being demolished. A traffic mirror with the sign that reads Beware occupies the center of the composition. The reflection, however, shows the street of the original village, creating a stark contrast with the demolished ruins. An old veteran is seen standing on the street, wearing the national flag that he had been keeping in his home as he took up the burden of defending his homeland while marching towards the distant assembly point in slow, awkward steps. This image symbolized the inevitable defeat of homeland defense and the sad fact that the old man is left with no choice but to leave the irrecoverable ruins in silence. CHANG I-Yun employed these powerful symbols and photographic dialog to convey a silent critique about the actual cruelty in our society.