In an era when traditional tools were invented, tools were extension of human’s body. However in contemporary digitalized society, electric circuits and Internet extended the image of human being. Utilizing tools, electronic circuit and Internet, we can extend our own image into every corner of the world in real time. The technicality aspects and forms are the two characters of New Media Art. The spirits of New Media Art are the dialectical situation between “Existence” and “Virtuality”. The content of works include sense of belongings, historical memories, bodily experience and emotion. The above-mentioned elements could be tracked in the four selected works created by five artists. The five artists are Lin Yen-Ju, Hsu Yuan Yao, Chen Pin-Hsin, Au Sow-Yee and Tsai Chi-Hung.

It has been 13 years since the establishment of Taipei University of Arts Graduate School of Art and Technology in 2001. And it has been four years since the title changed to Department of New Media Arts and since the founding of Bachelor degree program. The 2014 Outstanding New Media Art Award also marks the first time where work by students in the Bachelor degree program is selected. It shows not only the expansion of dimension covered in New Media Arts, but also shows that root have been put down.

The Outstanding New Media Art Award established in 2012 marches on its third year. We must extend our gratitude to the support of The Teaching Excellence Project of Ministry of Education and Kuandu Arts Museum, for providing an exhibition opportunity for our exceptional students. This exhibition marks a beginning for young artists. While giving them encouragement and support, we believe they will be able to build their own stage in the future. Let us wait and anticipate.

*image (left) 
A Day Without Sun in Mengkerang (Volume 1), 2013
video files, 28minutes
© Au Sow-Yee
courtesy of the artist