The Eyes of Archives: How Contemporary Taiwanese Video Art Set Off a Revolt Regarding Japanese Colonial History

In this chapter, Sing Song-yong focuses on works of three Taiwanese artists, Chen Chieh-Jen, Kao Chung-Li, and Hsu Chia-Wei, which were completed between 2014 and 2017 and take as their subject matter the shared history of Taiwan and Japan. All of them used archives of historical events that happened during the twentieth-century Japanese occupation of Taiwan to create different reflective effects by emphasizing the connection between cinematic qualities and the use of archives in video art. The chapter highlights the notable developments in recent years, particularly reflections on the historical relationship between Japan and Taiwan, thus demonstrating a willingness to get involved with, or even reimagine, history.