YI-CHIAO CHEN
ARTIST
Laid-back
22 MA and MFA students from UAL Chelsea College of Arts ,
Central Saint Martins and Wimbledon College of Arts
13 – 14 March 2019,Biscuit Factory, Bermondsey, London,2ND Floor, Building F,SE16 4DG
One might interpret the title of the exhibition Laid-Back as affable, breezy, devil-may-care, easygoing, happy-go-lucky, low-pressure, mellow. Or by words related to the theme as carefree, casual, dégagé, lackadaisical, nonchalant, unaffected, unconcerned, unfussy, unperturbed, untroubled, and unworried.
In the hustle and bustle of cities, we live fast-paced lives. Spurred by materialism in a global world, this heady pace makes us frustrated, self-closing, anxious and fretful. We would rather not live in a hurry, and find ourselves caught in a trap with the mundane requiring attention, like arriving on time.
Laid- back takes on a musical form that allows audiences to feel easygoing, unpressurised and nonchalant, maintaining dignity. The tempo of this sort of music, in our view, mimics a kind of life in which we follow our own pace regardless of industrialised time schedules. By creating an enjoyable living environment, it gives us the time and space to reflect on the condition of our work-life balance. We hope that this relaxed and flexible atmosphere transfers to all who visit the exhibition.