The Asian Art Museum presents a thought-provoking exhibition titled ‘Everyday War’, featuring the works of Taiwanese artist Yuan Goang-Ming. This exhibition, running until August 4, marks Yuan’s first solo showcase in North America and arrives during a week marked by heightened tensions, as the president has deployed National Guard troops and Marines to respond to protests against ICE raids in Los Angeles. Despite these unsettling circumstances, visitors may find an unexpected solace in Yuan’s captivating video installations.
Yuan’s work resonates with pervasive societal anxieties while simultaneously hinting at beauty and flickers of hope in our current environment. His pieces, ‘Dwelling’ (2014) and ‘Everyday War’ (2024), delve into the theme of destruction within domestic spaces, presenting intimate interiors that appear to be abandoned moments before a catastrophe unfolds.
In ‘Dwelling’, viewers are invited to settle into a cozy setup mirroring a typical living room, complete with an Ikea-style sofa, coffee tables, and a teapot. The environment is designed to provoke thoughts about the unseen lives within these spaces. On first glance, it showcases a warm domestic atmosphere, including elements like a rocking horse and bookshelves filled with artifacts of family life. However, upon closer inspection, the subtle signs of disturbance, such as a rising bubble and the rustling of leaves, foreshadow a surreal turn.
The moment of reckoning occurs as the room explodes in slow motion, depicting the chaos and devastation that ensues. Shattered remnants of the living room float through the air as the video captures the materiality of everyday life being obliterated. Remarkably, the scene swiftly reconstructs itself, returning to its original state, leaving viewers enveloped in a wave of relief and awe.
In contrast, ‘Everyday War’, crafted for the Venice Biennial, takes place in a disordered studio apartment reflecting the life of a busy graduate student. The setting evokes a sense of familiarity—cushioned by everyday objects like a small television displaying a documentary and personal items scattered about. Yet this domestic tranquility is shattered as bullets invade the space, wreaking havoc on the furniture and belongings. During the chaos, a collage of sounds emerges, blending snippets of an engaged conversation about military operations with mundane background noise, reinforcing the theme of ordinary life under siege.
Yuan’s ‘Everyday War’ installation is marked by its refusal to restore the devastated space fully. Unlike ‘Dwelling’, which provides a complete restoration, this piece starkly highlights the fragility of existence and the lingering impact of unexpected violence. Each bullet that strikes introduces waves of trauma, yet moments of budding hope emerge in the brief instances of reparation, accentuating the interplay between destruction and recovery.
The exhibition comprises five videos, a tablescape installation, and a sketch based on a historical photograph of U.S. military officials observing a nuclear test. These elements collectively illustrate the duality of ‘war amidst daily life’ and ‘daily life amidst war’, challenging visitors to contend with their realities. Yuan articulates how concepts of war extend beyond conventional battlefields, encompassing societal injustices, climate crisis, and the pervasive discontent of modern existence.
The wisdom of contemporary philosopher Martin Heidegger’s concept of ‘dwelling poetically’ also informs Yuan’s vision. Curator Abby Chen explains that Yuan grapples with the contradiction of seeking poetic existence in a world fraught with turmoil, and his approach seeks to inspire viewers despite their initial expectations of despair.
Visitors emerge invigorated and gratified, appreciating Yuan’s subtle commentary on resilience and the human experience. The exhibition allows for moments of contemplation, inviting everyone to reflect on the interconnectedness of individual struggles within a larger context of existence.
Yuan’s works are presented in a large gallery where the interplay of audio and visual elements creates a densely layered experience. Each video plays in harmony, weaving a shared soundscape that encourages movement and exploration through the installations, which last just five to ten minutes each. This immersive setup offers insight into the diverse presentations of daily conflict and beauty that characterize our lives.
In a bid to reach local residents who might not ordinarily visit the museum, Yuan created a six-minute LED video installation visible at night from outside the museum. This community-oriented endeavor ensures accessibility, inviting passersby to engage with art and encouraging them to contemplate the realities that permeate their lives.
Additionally, the exhibition includes ‘Disappearing Landscape — Passing II’ (2011), which serves as a poignant precursor to the main gallery installations. This nine-minute triptych progresses through scenes of everyday life and memories, juxtaposing moments of tranquility with narratives of loss and remembrance. The artistic journey conveys a sense of continuity amidst destruction, ultimately celebrating the beauty of mundane moments even in the face of adversity.
Yuan’s exploration of universal themes through the lens of personal experience reveals a profound understanding of shared human vulnerability. Through his art, he captures the delicate balance between chaos and beauty, leaving viewers with an enriched perspective on both their lives and the intricate world around them. ‘Everyday War’ not only invites reflection on personal struggles but highlights the larger cycles we all navigate, reinforcing the notion that despite pain and destruction, collective joy persists within the mundane.
image source from：https://missionlocal.org/2025/06/asian-art-museum-finds-hope-and-beauty-in-everyday-war/
