Double Square 双方藝廊

Double Square Gallery celebrates its 10th anniversary with the group exhibition Beyond Binary, which features thirteen artists from different generations, including Wang Yi-Jan, Wang Liang-Yin, Hsi Shih-Pin, Chen Ching-Yuan, Chang San-Hsueh, Fu Ning, Chia Chien-Ju, Yang Jie-Huai & Lu Po-Shun, Hsiao Chu-Fang, Hsieh Yu-Cheng, Su Hui-Yu, and Ku Fu-Sheng. The exhibition serves as a retrospective and a moment of reflection on the gallery’s ten years of operation while also imagining the future. Despite market challenges, it aims to explore new possibilities and transform into a renewed Double Square Gallery.

The core spirit of Beyond Binary is how artists use their unique perspectives to observe, respond to, and critique mainstream societal values, aiming to offer the audience a comprehensive view. Through their artistic production, artists reflect on and critically examine established norms, loosening rigid structures in reality and providing pluralistic inquiries and possibilities beyond binary perspectives. In contemporary art, artists not only demonstrate abundant creativity through their works, continually pushing aesthetic boundaries and improving themselves, but also—more importantly—respond to contemporary society through their artistic practices. Beyond Binary juxtaposes works informed by diverse viewpoints, each serving as a text that collectively forms a microcosm and a cross-section of the exhibition’s broader context.

Through their artistic practices, the artists featured in this exhibition showcase deep concerns and unique insights into contemporary issues. Wang Liang-Yin’s work is centered around the universal theme of “desire,” exploring the ambivalence and contradictions in the self-object relationship. Wang Yi-Jan, meanwhile, approaches desire through Buddhist philosophy by contrasting lust and scripture with line drawings and calligraphy, depicting the harmony between the flesh and consciousness. Chang San-Hsueh’s work arises from a passion for plants and related research, expressing a connection to his homeland and identity while reflecting on the relationship between nature and cultural history. Chen Ching-Yuan’s work captures shared sensibilities in human culture. His sketches, on view in this exhibition, more directly engage with the depths of human consciousness. Hsiao Chu-Fang captures everyday details and snippets from daily life through her paintings, offering fresh perspectives on seemingly trivial yet deeply meaningful moments, all expressed with a light and humorous style. Describing herself as a “bearer of poetry,” Fu Ning highlights forgotten things through her art, transforming life experiences into poetic expressions. As a representative figure in Taiwanese modern art, Ku Fu-Sheng explores the meaning of life through his creative work. His art effortlessly moves between reality, fantasy, and dreams with a strong, expressive style that continues to distinguish him today.

Another group of artists concentrates on the use of images and new media, employing technology to examine how images are created and shared in contemporary society and their impact on reality. Yang Jie-Huai & Lu Po-Shun revisits historical events and sites to tell stories by linking them to specific locations. Su Hui-Yu humorously mimics local live-action TV series produced in Taiwan and uses cartoon-style images of a “squad” to explore the connections between memory, body politics, and the shaping of ideologies.

This exhibition also highlights the artists’ innovations and breakthroughs in their use of materials and manipulation of space. Hsi Shih-Pin creates stainless steel sculptures, blending mythological imagination with poetic expression in industrial precision. Chia Chien-Ju incorporates remnants from everyday life as creative elements to explore the human-object connection and archives past works in filing cabinets. Hsieh Yu-Cheng’s spatial installations rearrange and juxtapose familiar readymades from daily life, offering new meanings to viewing objects through emotionally resonant arrangements while examining perception and cognition through these contrasts.

The works featured in Beyond Binary include oil painting, printmaking, installation, and video. Amid various contemporary art expressions, they create an illuminating and vibrant spectrum of life, offering a unique, unconventional perspective of Double Square Gallery in response to current times. This exhibition not only highlights the artists' achievements but also deeply explores contemporary social issues, encouraging the audience to move beyond binary frameworks and embrace the infinite possibilities of art with an open mind. Double Square Gallery aims to foster more dialogue and reflection through this exhibition, unveiling a new chapter for the future of art. More than a retrospective, it signifies a new beginning—a symbol of the gallery’s ongoing exploration, innovation, and growth. Through the diverse works of twelve artists, it presents a distinctive “Beyond Binary” outlook on contemporary issues.