Jury’s Comments for the Grand Prize Winner

This project is a site-specific performance in the Wang Da Hong House Theatre, an extended space of the Taipei Museum of Fine Arts. It consists of three episodes Above/Strolling/Living that develop from outside to inside. Physically the performance grows from outside the wall to inside the house, and psychologically the audience’s role shifts from watching a performance to participation. YEH Ming-Hwa explores the complex significance of Wang Da Hong House Theatre in a clear and layered manner, and deals with the various dimensions of body, space, theatre, performance and life in a delicate and balanced approach. Through the interplay between architecture, contemporary dance, Chinese opera and video art, she creates a unique experience for the audience while advancing the artistic practice of interdisciplinary exploration.

Comments on the Finalist

The House Behind the Wall—Above/Strolling/Living is a trilogy. The performance begins without and above the wall, and then enters the yard before being staged in the house. Each piece can be viewed independently while collectively forming a well-structured work with vivid layers. The performance creates a dialogue with the past of the replicated house (and its designer) while reaching into the future with rich imageries drawn from the contemporary context. The design and time of the performance elevate the space from being an architectural specimen and unfold its diverse meanings. Overall, The House Behind the Wall is not just an exquisite, memorable site-specific performance, but also glimpses into the interstices of history and culture through the body as an epitomizing perspective to subvert/revert the existing context and reveal a fresh aspect. (Commentator / CHANG Chi-Feng)

Artwork Introduction

The House Behind the Wall is developed and created by YEH Ming-Hwa and co-performed by CHEN Wu-Kang and HUANG Yu-Lin. Integrating dance, traditional theater, performance and video, the work presents, fabricates and revisits architect WANG Da-Hong’s professional career, his house and his everyday life. Staged at Wang Da Hong House Theatre, it is shown in three chapters with different scale and theatrical forms to formulate responses to the space and narratives, creating subtle viewing experiences and an intimately immersive perception. In addition to the varying viewing experiences, the live performances are turned into films to be shown in a limited period at Wang Da Hong House Theatre, re-converting theater into exhibition.

About the Artist

YEH Ming-Hwa was born in Kaohsiung in 1983, and graduated from the School of Dance, Taipei National University of the Arts. A choreographer and dancer, her creative practice in recent years revolves around using body and sensory interpretation to explore time and space while combining mediums with interdisciplinary performance to respond to narratives and events. Some of her recent works include serving as the stage director for Jérôme Bel’s The Show Must Go On in the 2019 Taipei Arts Festival; being invited by National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) to present an experimental public site creation for Museum of Human Emotions, an international contemporary creation exchange program from 2019 to 2020; and The House Behind the Wall commissioned by Taipei Fine Arts Museum in 2020.