Neo N’ Old: Separation/Integration

作品賞析

Artist Lee Yung-Chih released a series of creations called “Neo N’ Old” at the 2021 Asian Art Biennial, and this one, Neo N’ Old: Separation/Integration, is one of the eight-channel simultaneous video works. Lee has long been concerned about the urban landscape of Asian cities under industrial development, and is interested in the characteristics of three-dimensional signboards that turn into flat images when illuminated at night. Since he is adept at transforming visual materials, he attempted to reproduce the neon signs that were very popular in the 1980s through video and image output. First, he collected images from Taiwan and Hong Kong historical records and movie scenes of neon advertising for local or international brands. Then, using drawing software, he made the neon tubes into digital brushes, and finally all the images were mixed, pieced together, and redrawn. Besides letting past reality and present virtuality blend together, the resulting work also reveals Lee’s personal memories and feelings about the past.