Grandma's Traditional Chinese Wedding Bed – Guo-Rung Tzeng Solo Exhibition

Duration｜2025.04.30 (wed) - 06.08 (sun)

Artist｜Tzeng Guo-Rung

Venue｜Absolute Space for the Arts

Opening｜2025.05.03 (sat) 15:00

Forum｜2025.05.03 (sat) 15:30

Forum Guest｜Pei-Kuei Tsai

‖ Statement

Traditional Chinese Wedding Bed was once a symbol in traditional society of newlyweds’ hopes for a life of wealth, countless descendants, and growing old together. It is not only a symbol of goodness but also embodies the fear and chaos of the mythology surrounding the “Great Mother Goddess.” In 1949, my grandmother, who was only 8 years old at the time, followed my great-grandfather and the Chinese Nationalist Party（CNP）army to retreat to Taiwan. Today, she lies bedridden on an electric hospital bed, with her medical records and information affixed to the corner of the bed, resembling an epitaph that chronicles the suffering she endured in life. The Traditional Chinese Wedding Bed symbolizes Grandmother’s body, the maternal figure, and the cradle of life. It serves as a vessel for the various stages of life between "birth" and "death" and as a tomb that reclaims life.

The exhibition incorporates the spirit of traditional craftsmanship to create two wooden works: "Grandma's Wedding Bed " and " Wheelchair of Hat Armchair." The concepts of traditional furniture, such as avoiding misfortune and attracting auspicious, birth, aging, illness and death, and the harmony of yin and yang, are integrated with medical equipment. Start an artistic discussion on "traditional crafts/contemporary art", "memory/skills", "furniture/identity" and "pattern/life".

‖ About Artist

Guo-Rung Tzeng

Born in Tainan, Taiwan in 1990, his family has been engaged in spirit money wholesale for more than 10 years. My creative forms range from two-dimensional paintings, three-dimensional installations, and traditional wood carvings. He expresses the observed social phenomena in a humorous and emotional way, interprets it in a faith-based way, and conveys the works and A close-knit attitude towards life among the people.

Research areas include traditional Chinese wood crafts and contemporary art. In recent years, most of his creations are presented in the form of traditional wood crafts. The connotation of traditional wood crafts conveys the social system, including architecture, living utensils, gods carvings, religious artifacts, decorative carvings, etc. However, the issue I am more concerned about is the dialogue behind individuals and symbols, trying to explore the negative aspects of traditional wood craftsmanship.

‖ Sponsor

文化部、臺南市政府文化局、國藝會