Making Of… “Scopofiliac”

Continuing our little series “A day in the life of Liu Dao”, this week we present you another “making of”-story, namely one of our latest artworks called “Scopofiliac”.

Arriving on the island several months ago, we are very happy having our painter Jin Yun 金云 lighting the gallery up with his cheerful attitude. A graduate from the China Fine Art College and currently a member of the Oil Painting Study Organization, Jin Yun’s talent for painting is evident in his love of creating artworks with historical meaning. We love challenging him by demanding very graphic design patterns, and this is how he produced an acrylic masterpiece of a typical Chinese electronic discount store in less than a week. With a keen eye for detail and a steady pair of hands, he carefully documented the photographic original to our fullest satisfaction.

Following up the high success of the first two CCTV artworks made in the island6 Arts Center, namely “Panopticon” and “iSpy”, we made the plan to create another camera eye-based piece. You might think we are struck with paranoia, but that’s not the case. Liu Dao is simply aware of the everyday presence of surveillance and aims to illustrate that in a rather playful way. And this is how a microwave unexpectedly becomes a technical spy, kind of reasonable in the island6 universe.

                                                                                                                                                          But until then, our technician of many years, Yan Shifu 严师傅, had to first mount a screen behind the painting and then install a mini camera at the back. The location of the camera lens is crucial for providing the kittenish effect of people searching for the spying eye, a so-called modern version of playing hide-and-seek. After having decided where to place it, the artwork could finally get framed in our in-house workshop.

And this is the birth of our flavour of the month “Scopofiliac”!

Text & Photos: Melani Murkovic

Scopofiliac 偷窥

“In our modern society the gaze of many have been fixed on a few. Cameras line our streets, protect our homes and guard our valuables. They provide a sense of comfort to some and paranoia to others. Scopofilia and its deviant accomplice, voyeurism, literally epitomize the fetishized love of looking. The origins of the concept lie in Freudian psychoanalysis, and now this gaze has become a commonplace aspect of contemporary culture. ‘Scopofiliac’ explores the dichotomy by making the surveillance material available to those surveyed. By juxtaposing the painted image with a hidden camera that tracks and mirrors, the viewers are able to see themselves as part of the artwork, literally and figuratively becoming their own voyeur.”

Text: Margaret Johnson