(Untitled) (from 'Everything will fall into ruin' series) 1990-2009

Yao Jui-Chung’s photographs explore the construction of Taiwanese cultural identity in the aftermath of martial law (1949–87), its embrace of capitalism and democratic reform, and the dramatic social and physical transformations that have since occurred. The ‘Everything will fall into ruin’ series presents derelict sites of industry, abandoned civil dwellings, deserted military and prison buildings, and the refuse of statuary scattered throughout the countryside. These images of destroyed, weathered and forgotten sites – man-made, yet devoid of human presence – mark shifts of power over time, and collectively reveal black holes in Taiwan’s sociopolitical history. The artist asks us to consider how the ‘ruin’ carries memories of things past, offering moments of reflection on our relationship with history and significant sites.