Curator Statement – James Shih

"Do you think artists are difficult to get along with?"

"What are we so-called ‘artists’?"

Swiping through comments like these examples above on social media platforms, leads me to an idea of why not we artists show what we are. I’d like to open a discussion about why is there somehow an invisible boundary between Artists and Non-artists. Starting with the terms Artist
and 藝術家 (Yìshùjiā, Artist in Chinese). If we consider a broader interpretation, the term Artist could be more accurately translated as Art Practitioner, encompassing a wider range of creative individuals. We will use the word “Artist” which also includes “Art Practitioner” in the following paragraph to wider the boundary of our project.

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Artist, influenced by academic training or environmental factors, tend to emphasize interpretation and the expression of perspectives when addressing issues and engaging with life. Because art often navigates ambiguity and uncertainty, artists rely on an extensive vocabulary system to construct  communicative framework, guiding themselves and the audience toward deeper emotional and intellectual engagement.
 

For this creative project, we aim to establish mechanisms that explore the identity of an "Artist," by examining their daily life. And discuss about how it differs from that of the general public.

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Furthermore, we seek to analyze the connection between "artistic discourse" and everyday life. Within the "art community," these forms of communication are commonplace—but for the audience, do they appear intriguing, incomprehensible, or simply unrelatable?

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"ETHNIC – An Hour With Artists” Video Submission Project is initiated and curated by artist Luna Huang. The project invites submissions of "One Hour in an Artist’s Life"—short video recordings that reflect an artist’s perspective on daily life. These videos will not only showcase the artist’s worldview but also reveal how viewers perceive and differentiate themselves from artists.

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To fully capture the essence of daily life, the project goes beyond conventional exhibition formats. In addition to traditional venues, selected videos will be uploaded to major videosharing platforms, expanding their reach. This initiative also includes an international exchange with New York, broadening engagement and enabling a wider audience to experience the lives of artists and gain insight into the art world.

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This exhibition is not only a reflection on the identities of "Artists" and "Art Practitioners" but also an inquiry into the "Art Community" itself. It directly challenges public perceptions—when one becomes an artist within this "Ethnic," do they not also become an observer of others?

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Understanding each other’s daily lives is the first step toward truly comprehending what the "Art Community" is all about.