Connecting people through art 

Join us for the opening of Ekin Kee Charles' exhibition Among Us, at MoCA Taipei on the 24th of April at 2pm, in the presence of the artist and with introductory words by the museum's director, Ms. Li-Chen Loh and Mr. Han Nefkens.

Identity and community values have been a recurring theme in Ekin Kee Charles' works. The works — Rama Rama and Meet Us at the Ridge: 6.0753° N, 116.5588° E, are an exploration of identity in the context of traditional customs. How do we play our role in preserving and carrying on our traditions?

The exhibition name, Among Us, chosen by the artist, is based on the concept of a mobile game that became popular during the pandemic. The concept of the game involves playing as cute-colorful animated bean-like characters in space, working together with your crewmates to identify the suspected impostors, who are then eliminated through voting by questioning each other's sincerity. "While I was doing research for both works, most of my sources were from my family members, my uncles and aunties. I am not disputing their points, nor am I giving them the benefit of the doubt; however, they were portraying things based on their perspective and beliefs. Similar to Among Us, I question the value of truth and sincerity."

This series of works explores the artist's journey in questioning a deeper connection between herself and what it means to be indigenous in the current society of vast modernization. Internalizing a worry about the fading customs, the artist interprets the profound foundation of their disappearance, as they are honored on a surface level without truly understanding the meaning behind them. This series serves as way of preserving thoughts on custom tied by specificity of life experience.

Meet us at the Ridge is the outcome of Ekin Kee Charles winning the Han Nefkens Foundation - Loop Barcelona Video Art Production Grant 2022, in collaboration with the Fundació Joan Miró; MoCA Taipei; ILHAM, Kuala Lumpur; Center d'Art Contemporain, Genève; Art Hub Copenhagen and Inside-Out Art Museum, Beijing.