Viral City - The End Of The World

Viral City - The End Of The World

Is the theory of the world ending a real doomsday prediction or a fake hoax?

2012 end of time predictions have garnered much public attention, and together with global adversary weather conditions, environmental problems, and man-caused tragedies that are plastered all over the media, even some of the most optimistic people are beginning to feel the tension from this issue and starting to wonder if indeed the “End of the World” will soon be upon us?
Nobody could positively confirm whether these premonitions about the end of the world are true or false. However, through certain viewpoints and verbal expressions, what has formerly been an issue proclaimed by so-called “prophets” are now being expanded into areas of mass media, social event, art writing, cultural seminar, and other channels in the public domain, whereby collective discussions, imaginations, and concerns for issues of mutual death, apocalypse, extreme catastrophe, and end of world redemption are taking place.
“World is over?” is instigated by “2012 End of Days” predictions and attempts to transcend preexisting concepts and logics via art languages and perspectives. The exhibition is based on the duo-concept of the “end of days” and the “future”. The exhibition consisting of these two elements is also suggesting that perhaps whether or not the end of days is upon us is based on the mentality and action of people today. A slight change in the mindset could ultimately alter the future of the world. The title of the exhibition, “World is over?”, is intended to act as a warning and to call upon people’s collective awareness and for them to discover the focus and important context this exhibition is attempting to present.
13 artists from Second Soul are included in this exhibition. Through the use of universal visual language and in conjunction with multimedia, interactive projections, graffiti works, installation art, sculptures, prints, and the utilizations of other diverse media, these artist have created “the world in 2013” based on different experiences and approaches. Through the spiritual profoundness in these visual works, the objective is to encourage people to be more sensitive and to become more active in facing our current existence.

Artist:王宗欣 Cowper Wang (2011 MOCATaipei ) 病毒城市 Viral City

computer animation video installation
Cowper comes from an ink brush painting background, and is self-trained in the areas of design, drawing, internet, video, product design, and other creative integrations. “Viral City” is a combination of floor projection and nine television displays on the wall. It is like a lab experiment for cultivating viruses, and it is an analogy that there is a connecting effect in the city, and also dispersal and oppression of civilization. The bird’s eye view places emphasis on the smallness of humankind, and also depicts the various responses that people have when the end of the world comes. The mutants that have survived the catastrophe are representative of selfishness, anxiety, distance, joy, bliss…different personality traits and human desires, which are depicted in the nine hybrid forms. These life’s progressions based on negative emotions are bound to strive toward the future, regardless if they are satisfied with their state of being or not.

Disturbed / 不安

Apathetic / 冷感

Doubt / 疑惑

Snobbish / 勢利

Fear / 恐懼

Oracle / 神諭

Happiness / 幸福

Anger /憤怒

Selfish / 自私