Artwork Appreciation
TU Pei-Shih often adopts a narrative filled with fantasies to respond to the conflicts and ridiculous nature of the real world. Nuclear World is a paper montage with colorful butterflies fluttering about against a silver-colored sky. Ferris wheels, large sunflowers, animals, and children engaged in games can be seen on the seemingly verdant, grassy lands. This seemingly beautiful image, however, is based upon true data collected after a nuclear disaster, including the abandoned towns after the Chernobyl incident, the irradiated and mutated butterflies and flowers, and children with abnormally large heads. TU Pei-Shih uses what seems to be a beautiful image to convey hidden message on the impacts and hazards posed by a world powered by a nuclear energy to provide viewers with a different way of thinking.