Chia-En Jao's 'Backseat Boulevard' at TKG+ Showcases Video and Watercolors Exploring Taiwanese History

Chia-En Jao's exhibition titled 'Backseat Boulevard' took place at TKG+ in Taipei from May 6 to June 25, 2017, showcasing three unique pieces. One of these, 'Taxi' (2016), was commissioned by the Guggenheim Museum in New York and features the artist discussing political themes with Taipei taxi drivers while visiting locations like the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, highlighting personal memories and cross-Strait issues. Another piece, 'Counterclockwise' (2017), presents silent footage documenting the 2015 restoration of the Kusukusu Jiniya Shinto shrine in Taiwan, alluding to the 1871 Mudan incident with Morse code identifying survivors. Additionally, 'A Question of Balance' (2017) consists of 11 watercolors illustrating shirtless men balancing poles with historical imagery, including a Karl Marx monument in Chemnitz, Germany. Jao's approach prioritizes individual narratives, similar to his previous work 'REM Sleep' (2011), where immigrant workers shared their dreams. The exhibition received coverage in the Autumn 2017 edition of ArtReview Asia.