Publication- The Cave of Eighteen Arhats
2023
Risoprint
23cm x 20cm x 0.5cm, 48 pages
Binding: Loop Stitch Binding
Publication Date: May 2023
Risoprint
23cm x 20cm x 0.5cm, 48 pages
Binding: Loop Stitch Binding
Publication Date: May 2023
"The Cave of Eighteen Arhats" is a publication derived from the project of the same name.
In an abandoned cave in northern Taiwan, left untouched for over twenty years, numerous statues of deities from Eastern religions and sculpted scenes of folk beliefs were placed. Within the cave, I discovered eighteen vacant niches and attempted to investigate the site's history and its connection to nearby temples. Collaborating with a Butoh performer, I choreographed movements inspired by the distinct characteristics of the Eighteen Arhats. Their dances were then projected into the empty niches, symbolically "returning" them to the cave.
This image book serves as both a documentation of the project and a record of the physical and sensory experiences of repeatedly entering the cave, along with the lingering reflections that followed. In addition to the artist’s written reflections, the book includes images of the dance performance, deity statues, and sculptures found within the tunnel.
Printed entirely using risograph, the book captures the vibrant hues first seen upon entering the cave. Through layered printing experiments, selected primary colors manifest in the misalignment of halftone patterns, echoing the fleeting, hallucinatory brilliance of light momentarily illuminating the dark cavern.
In an abandoned cave in northern Taiwan, left untouched for over twenty years, numerous statues of deities from Eastern religions and sculpted scenes of folk beliefs were placed. Within the cave, I discovered eighteen vacant niches and attempted to investigate the site's history and its connection to nearby temples. Collaborating with a Butoh performer, I choreographed movements inspired by the distinct characteristics of the Eighteen Arhats. Their dances were then projected into the empty niches, symbolically "returning" them to the cave.
This image book serves as both a documentation of the project and a record of the physical and sensory experiences of repeatedly entering the cave, along with the lingering reflections that followed. In addition to the artist’s written reflections, the book includes images of the dance performance, deity statues, and sculptures found within the tunnel.
Printed entirely using risograph, the book captures the vibrant hues first seen upon entering the cave. Through layered printing experiments, selected primary colors manifest in the misalignment of halftone patterns, echoing the fleeting, hallucinatory brilliance of light momentarily illuminating the dark cavern.
Ya Hsuan Hsiao, Monty Williams
Chin En Fu