The Gesture II
The Gesture II considers the nature of pop culture, taking as its starting point the zombie movies of Hong Kong and Taiwan that reached a zenith of popularity in the 1990s. Cooperating with a professional Taoist priest, it examines specific symbols in Hong Kong and Taiwan zombie movies, such as gestures and talismans, and explores how they metaphorized and reflected the anxieties of the masses, transformed fear into comedy, and became popular images, before being internalised and absorbed back into the public consciousness. At a time when Covid-19 runs rampant, besides wearing face masks, what we do with our hands is a crucial part of disease prevention. To better protect ourselves from infection, we must frequently wash our hands and disinfect them with rubbing alcohol. These new daily hand gestures are not only official directives but have also become a movement of the people. Hand gestures have demarcated a new boundary line, illustrating the divide between “inner/safe” and “external/ dangerous.” But hand gestures serving as barriers are not something that protects us in this era alone – they have long constituted a form of human culture.
Installation view at Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
© Chen Liang-Hsuan & Musquiqui Chihying
Still image from the video installation The Gesture II
© Chen Liang-Hsuan & Musquiqui Chihying
