LEE Yung-Chih

2023 Baking Enamel Iron Plate, Metal Support, Misting System
W250XD150XH230cm

Sunset of Lak-Tshat reinvigorates the contemporary “sunset” imagery that has long been regarded as a mere clichéd symbol, giving it a fresh materialization, while it also recalls the retro-futurism characteristic of the 2010s internet subculture, Vaporwave. In this installation, the intentional employment of a misting machine accelerates the decay of the smooth, lacquered surface of the iron billboard. As time elapses, the varnish breaks down, and the “picture” ends up being more and more like an “object.” The wordplay “lak-tshat” in Taiwanese signifies the deterioration of the varnish on the surface, while also suggesting errors or imprecision.

Expanding upon his previous exploration of fictive historicity, Lee Yung-Chih began experimenting with metal corrosion in 2022 as he delved into the relationship between material decay and perceived meanings. The misty and moist Sunset of Lak-Tshat appears particularly ambiguous and bewildering. It refers to a sense of loss for fleeting moments, meanwhile conveying an artificially constructed historicity. Nowadays, we are distant from the profound melancholy expressed in Tang-dynasty poet Li ShangYin’s imagist line, “The sunset is magnificent / But dusk is near.” Contemporary media culture converts everything into rapid consumption of commodified sentiments. Sorrow is transformed into a genrefied experience, as if it were a playlist of emotions for us to play at any time in infinite loops.

*Thanks for Supporting Video Clip by Dong Haw Wang