Ocean: The Dark Side

The 2021 “Pier-2 Artist-in-Residence Program” took “RePAIR” as its central theme—not only emphasizing repair and regeneration through art, but also evoking the prefix “re-” as an act of re-examining and re-thinking. The program reflected on contemporary challenges such as protests, natural disasters, the disruption and suspension of transportation and cultural events caused by the pandemic, as well as the turbulence of international trade and politics.
The ocean, while serving as a nurturing and connective body, also conceals darkness and the unknown. This year’s theme, “The Dark Side of the Sea,” invited artists through residency, dialogue, and practice to re-examine the multiple possibilities between the ocean, the port, the city, and art. Through exploration and creation, we seek to engage with deeper issues while, in the process, arriving at a renewed understanding of ourselves.
The key visual embodies the idea of “diving into the depths of the sea,” symbolizing the exploration of the unknown. The image is transformed into the beam of a submarine’s searchlight or the faint glow of a deep-sea creature—an allegory for discovering subtle fissures of possibility, nearly invisible yet undeniably present.