Rexy Tseng’s practice consists of painting and installation, deriving motifs from the dark humor and unrequited desires found within contemporary conditions. He primarily works from lived experiences and responses to current events. Through his work, Tseng seeks to challenge established narratives, exposing the limitations of free will and the notion of progress.
Exuding a sense of disarray and absurdity, Tseng’s work presents the bruised optimism of his time. He addresses the inherent flaws of technocapitalism, material culture, and unresolved past. The imagery in his paintings describes moments of weakness. By merging human forms and ruins, the images press sensations against logic. He intends to engage the viewers’ identification with societal bounds.
The objects in Tseng’s installations are worn products of globalization. He repurposes industrial artifacts to subvert their assumed functions and values. By staging the familiar in uncanny contexts, the audience is confronted by conflicting realities. He aims to communicate vulnerability and criticism, all served in a visceral undertone.
In his practice, Tseng poses the following broader questions: Who is privileged? Who is disenfranchised? What gives potency to an image? What gives value to an object? How are technologies applied to sustain disparities? What happens when technologies fail?