(Passengers who insist on using the restroom during takeoff and landing, line up to board before their turn, rush forward to deplane quickly, or fall asleep without turning off their screens truly test my patience. Some flights are tragically shot down, and people like you could die because of such incidents. Shouldn't you behave yourself and show respect for every flight that safely takes off and lands?)
"Clear-air turbulence" (CAT) refers to invisible, undetectable turbulence in clear skies. Its intensity and frequency have increased with climate change, posing frequent risks to flight safety. Borrowing from this invisible yet dangerous weather phenomenon, “Clear-air Turbulence”, an exhibition by LAN Chung-Hsuan, explores contemporary global issues through photography, installations, found objects, and found footage. Employing a detached aesthetic, the exhibition incorporates events of civilian aircraft shootdowns into flight and travel experiences, rendering them akin to unseen threats, much like clear-air turbulence.
Clear-air Turbulence (2024) displays numerous in-flight photographs, 3D-printed missile models, and flight-related objects on the ground. For those familiar with flying, these photos of cabins, meals, window views, and screens, alongside flight items, appear mundane or even tedious—ephemeral images that flash across stories or lose significance post-landing. The artist photoshopped images of surface-to-air or air-to-air missiles into these photographs,using a rough production technique to symbolize the crude simplicity of armed attacks. Additionally, multiple white missile models and objects are placed on the photos. The piece contrasts the ordinary experiences of air travel with the erratic presence of missiles, likened to clear-air turbulence, which subtly alludes to the causes of air disasters.
Airliner Shootdown Incidents (2024) compiles images of various commercial aircrafts shot down and turns them into postcards—a cheap, casual, and easily forgotten travel souvenir. At first glance, postcards featuring aircraft evoke entirely different associations, such as joyful memorabilia of significant models or routes. Yet, these incidents were major international tragedies intricately tied to global politics and history. Over time, such events fade into obscurity, much like postcards themselves—ubiquitous yet barely noticed.
Welcome Aboard (2024) recreates sections of an airplane cabin, inviting visitors to sit in the simulated seats. Airplane windows display a series of videos, including earnest yet playful in-flight promotional clips reassuring passengers about the improbability of missile attacks. Other videos feature footage of the artist playing aerial combat games, depicting cross-era dogfights while viewers remain seated calmly on their simulated flight.
When commercial planes are mistakenly shot down, we continue rushing to airports, convinced that no missile will ever target our flight. Perhaps this encapsulates the complex reality faced by those distanced from warfare—simply waiting to encounter their fatal clear-air turbulence.