As part of a series of reflections by our Fellows, we have partnered with ArtReview to publish a collection of writings that will explore and unlock the future of curatorial and research practice. In this essay, our Fellow Rachel Be-Yun Wang provides an entry point into the artist Lee Tzu Tung’s reflexive filmmaking approach in her film Writing the Time Lag (2014–), presenting a layered narrative of Taiwan’s grassroots indigenous activism and identity dynamics.

'Organised on a timeline across the three display cases, film stills from Writing the Time Lag’s 2021, 2018 and 2016 iterations are interspersed with Lee’s field notes and literary influences across this period. [...]

The artist’s varied approach to their field notes – whether they take the form of index cards, notebooks, online bulletin boards or postings on a private Facebook account – reflects the different stages and geographies of this project’s expansion. [...]

The end of the timeline is where we are today; reflecting over the past decade, Lee leaves us with a new index card that speaks to seeing the other side of the moon. Despite the structural realities embedded in their work, their comments are not an attempt at diagnosing society. Rather, these are annotations that tune into the different types of belonging that one can carry between worlds.'

Click here to read Rachel's full essay for ArtReview, published on 23 September 2024.