2004 Crossing Boundary- Wielding Together, Kaohsiung International Steel & Iron Sculpture Festival

About the work

Due to spatial considerations, the presentation of this piece gradually gravitated towards using a singular component. The simplified image of a tree was stretched to be twice as tall as a person, which was then transferred onto a computer. One-centimeter-thick steel sheets were then cut by laser into separate sheets and shapes, with very hard, straight, uniform lines. Despite the repetitive reproduction of eight pieces, in response to spatial factors and self-discipline, Po-Chun Liu assembled the eight pieces together using mechanical parts such as metal screws, deliberately leaving behind detailed craftwork such as protruding joints or angles. Through purely sight and touch, Liu deliberately uses the physical volume of this work to showcase the internal space contained within the metal sheets to further accentuate the boundaries between the piece’s inner and outer spaces. At the same time, the tree-shaped spaces on these iron sheets emphasize the depth of the space but also eliminates the enormous weightiness of the sheets, establishing a unique state. The audience can enter Forest through these holes and experience a “second nature” formed by industrial means, which also demonstrates that industry can shape the physical beauty of an object. It is also an example of industrial aesthetics, as well as a representation of the sentimental relationship between the current state of industrial civilization and the humanities.