The exhibition in Taipei aimed to improve the condition of human rights in Taiwan and other Asian societies through dialogue about diverse gender issues, but opened questions about equal representation within minority groups.
The News Lens
Date: 2017/11/13
By: Leora Joy
There were lots of ethnic Chinese penises on display at “Spectrosynthesis – Asian LGBTQ Issues and Art Now.”
I didn’t mind that at all — at first.
Credit: Leora Joy
The exhibit was framed as the first show to exhibit queer Asian art. Curated by Sean C.S Hu (胡朝聖) and backed by Hong Kong collector Patrick Sun and his Sunpride Foundation, Spectrosynthesis coincided with Art Taipei (Oct. 20-23), Asia’s oldest art fair. The show, which ran from Sept. 9 to Nov. 5, aimed to be a timely presentation of LGBTQ art reflective of Taiwan’s progressive values.
The title of the show employs a merging of the the theme of a “spectrum of light” and light as a necessary and “everlasting source of energy” for survival.
Spectrosynthesis was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). This choice was political: Hu was well aware that by exhibiting at a government-run museum like MOCA Taipei, it would mirror the legislature’s attitude towards the LGBTQIA community and its issues.
“In our mind, we hope to push the Taiwanese government to protect equal rights for the LGBTQ community through this show,” said Hu in an interview with Ketagalan Media.
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