The exhibition "Collector - Untitled" by Artist Cheng Hsien-Yu at YIRI ARTS will showcase the award-winning series of works by the artist from the Taipei Digital Art Award and the Kaohsiung Fine Arts Award in the New Media category. The works mainly consist of electronic devices and experimental prototypes with organic software. Currently, the artist focuses on research on self-sustaining energy collection and its application in future works, creating semi-electronic devices capable of self-survival. In recent years, the artist's series of works have also revisited the concept of "collecting." Through the concept of Recyclism, the artist explores how to transform discarded electronic materials and substances, reflecting on human life and tendencies in the era of technological consumption.
Looking back, the "Collector Project" was a creative guideline set by Cheng Hsien-Yu for himself during his time in the Netherlands from 2009 to 2013. He created works that aligned with his concept using a limited budget and recycled electrical materials. Due to his work in the laboratory at the time, he became accustomed to using rapid prototyping methods to realize his ideas, resulting in the final products having a style of electronic devices with a sense of decay. Whether it is the work "Portrait 2011," which features mechanical faces that cry behind people; "Afterlife Ver. 2.0 - the Cycle of Life and Death," an installation that uses collected insects' lives to activate a game, exploring specific interpretations and perceptions of the value of life; "Portrait 2013," which utilizes 88 sets of second-hand outdated computer mice to imply the struggle for discourse and power in the online world; or "Portrait 2014," which utilizes discarded speakers to generate uninterrupted sound and motion through high-voltage electricity.
Through the concept of "Collector," the artist not only depicts their own collecting behavior but also personifies objects composed of electronic machinery to further manifest the act of collecting. In other words, in the conceptualization of the artwork, the artist creates repetition and collectivity through the objects themselves. This exploration delves into how human thinking operates in society, how psychological consciousness is manifested through imperceptible subtle actions, and the relationship between machinery and digital software and hardware.