Artwork Appreciation
In 2019, when countries all over the world suddenly announced breakthroughs in space technology, artist Lan Chung-Hsuan was inspired by these developments, so he created a series of artworks related to space programs. STS-51-L and STS-107 are the names of two United States space launch projects in which accidents resulted in the deaths of astronauts. Lan has commented, “Both ‘failure’ and ‘success’ alike carry human yearnings for the realm of space.” He thus combined two sets of long-format photographic works in the way of collage. At the top of the composition, one sees the photos of the two projects going awry, and below them, stacked on top of each other, are photos of other projects that succeeded. In the end, the whole image leaves another kind of visual record. When looking at the work, the line of sight will naturally follow the smoke upward; this will guide the viewer’s imagination and provoke thought about human beings’ relationship with the universe.