Census

作品賞析

CHENG Ting-Ting has traveled and lived in London before, and this dual cultural influence meant that her work often combines both physical objects and photographic imageries that represent differing cultural values in this increasingly globalized world. In Census, CHENG Ting-Ting attempts to use different imageries to unearth hidden but universal values in Taiwanese societies. She first photographed 800 individuals from the street of Taipei and then cut out the negatives and weighed them. The 100 photographs of men were weighed at 22.0 g, while the 100 photographs of women weighed at 22.1 g. This humorous irony debunked the traditional mindset that men weigh (worth) more than women. The three other canvas works are arrangements of the remaining negatives to show the urban landscape and contours. The arrangements were designed so that the viewers would be unable to look at the contents of the negatives, thereby serving as a metaphor of the society’s hidden but persistent traditional values. This experimental method and critique allowed CHENG Ting-Ting to expose the twisted aspects that permeate our society.