Michael Lin. Archipelago

Michael Lin. Archipelago

October 2020–February 2021 (not yet exact dates)

Michael Lin is a leading Taiwanese contemporary painter and conceptual artist whose work has been exhibited internationally in major institutions and international Biennials around the world, including Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo; UCCA, Beijing; The Vancouver Art Gallery, Lyon Biennial; Singapore Biennial and the Towada Art Center, Japan.

Lin has been commissioned by MOCA to produce a major site-specific spatial painting for the museum’s entrance floor. Transforming the institutional architecture of the public museum, his unconventional paintings invite visitors to reconsider their usual perception of those spaces, and to become an integral part of the work, giving meaning to the museum’s potential as an area for interaction, encounter, and re-creation. At MOCA his installation references archipelago islands, a response to the distancing requirements created by COVID-19, as well as providing an optimistic and energetic visual impact for the museum. Each platform consists of painted surfaces adorned with patterned motifs taken from Taiwanese, Indonesian and quasi Hawaiian textiles.

As for many of his monumental painting installations, Lin’s murals will be painted by local artists under mentorship from Lin and his studio. This process will be open to visitors, who will be able to watch the patterns become more intricate and colourful during the month of October.