About Photon+

This is the first year since the inception of New Taipei City. Responding to the cultural development of the new urban era, the Cultural Affairs Department of New Taipei City Government is hosting the International Techno Art Exhibition of New Taipei City 2011 using Photon+ as its theme. Under the appearance of "light" in the technological age, it connects the world of the virtual network with the creativity of art, relighting the beauty of this city.

Photon+ - The International Techno Art Exhibition of New Taipei City 2011 focuses on the imagery of "light" and discusses in-depth "photons," the carriers of "light." Inviting the works of Taiwanese, French, and Canadian artists and creative teams, this exhibition focuses on three issues: the imitative biofeedback system constructed by "light," the transmission and translation of life’s information through "light," and showing the captured "light" of life’s information. It interprets the signal transduction produced by light, electricity, and other flowing consciousnesses of data, as well as the condition and exposure of message conversions resulting from it.

He-Lin Luo and I-Chun Chen’s Light in Forest - Heart’s Core is an artificial organism that breathes lightly and pulses rhythmically. It dances and emits light in response to a participant’s touch.Scottie Chih-Chieh Huang’s Listening Bio-Skeleton is an auditory being that responds rhythmically with changes in light to increases and decreases in sound. It uses breathing sounds to convey emotional responses that suggest signs of life.Ultra Combo’s SoundJockey is comprised of a group of metronome devices that are driven by light to form a resonating atmosphere. Alexis Mailes’ A little rest on a big deskconsists of pens and pencils that are transformed into interactive interfaces for objects that can be operated. The objects respond with sound and light, declaring an autonomous state of existence.Chen-Wei Chiang’s Sound Object - Natsu is comprised of four small stages that play mechanical sounds to recreate the symphony of insects in the summertime. Along with transitions in the light and shadow of day and night, a mechanical electronic musical event is composed.

The Company of LeeQingZhao the Private’s Dinner of Luciérnaga is a theatrical performance that presents the relationship between people and light. Featuring the iPhone app, Luciérnaga, and the interactive installation, Luciérnaga with Light, it invites participants to capture and explore light together.

Grégory Chantosky’s I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself captures fingerprints with light and converts them into visual messages. Creating a personal landscape that is varied, yet possesses a temporal, evolving form, he forms the three-dimensional work, HisLand.

Chi-Ping Jing and Kuan-Ying Wu’s Denki Monster – Battle Versioncreates custom electronic monsters from the data stored on MRT EasyCards, then pits the avatars in duels against each other through games.

Marie Jeanne’s The Radiant Forest: Energy Herbariumcaptures the magnetic energy field around an object. She shows that organisms are not just solid, unchanging, and normal objects, but dynamic organizations of an open system and field. Through lighting techniques,

Hui-Yu Lo’s series of works, Magic Twilight, forms the mysterious atmosphere of flowers in the night and creates a fantasy scene. Amongst the dark, yet beautiful dream-like visuals, a mysterious and strange atmosphere is conveyed.

Photon+- The International Techno Art Exhibition of New Taipei City 2011 explores the imagery of light, as well as rethinks the role taken by light in this system: perhaps, it is the conveyor, or the revealer of information; perhaps it is the interface or carrier of the transmitted message, or even the theme of the message itself. Perhaps the exhibition form of "light" can be seen. Maybe, it cannot be seen, or it is converted into another form. Yet, the relationship formed from the interaction amongst people and people, people and living organisms, people and nature, people and technology is not the final condition, but a type of system. This exhibition focuses on techno art for its discussion, beginning from aesthetic visual forms, interactive participation and immersion. Then, it returns to a system message about material and technology. Conceptually, this is not just about a city, but also extends the actual network of virtual connections. In the end, the inner spirit becomes the message of light for artists and living organisms through a system constructed by the message itself.