"Realm of Vanitas" Exhibition - Territory

The ideals of modernity, whether in France or Taiwan, are gradually disintegrating under the fierce impact of climate change. In the past, humanity believed in infinite resources, eternal development, and the ability to tame and dominate nature, but this notion no longer holds true. We stand on the edge of this gradually collapsing modern world, attempting to find a new balance. This is precisely the story the photographers tell this time.
"Vanitas" paintings were originally a philosophical and moral reminder, warning people not to be overly attached to material wealth. However, in this exhibition, they become a medium for photographic contemplation on how to survive in a world destined to collapse. This "Realm of Vanitas" exhibition combines photographic works from Taiwan and France. To ponder the dilemmas of the contemporary world and future possibilities, it narrates how artists, despite coming from different cultural backgrounds, all persistently search for new hope. The "Territory" theme elaborates on breaking the boundaries between nature and culture, using microscopic images, natural subjects, and various types of images like extensive field surveys to reveal the human traces and stories beneath the surface of the land. The "Urban" theme further demonstrates, within photographic art, how to view and reflect on the contradictions and issues arising from the wave of urbanization between imagination and reality, rethinking the relationship between self and the world, and exploring and seeking a new balance point in an uncertain modernity.