The Series of "Listen, Speak, Watch" / Artist Statement

by LIN Hung-Hsin

“Listen not to what is contrary to propriety, speak not what is contrary to propriety, look not at what is contrary to propriety” is the Confucian teaching of our childhood. However, this ethical teaching might be no longer applicable to today’s audience since the lifestyle and technology has been changing rapidly.

In May 2013, Glenn Greenwald published a book “No Place to Hide” revealing the surveillance abuse of the PRISM program launched by the National Security Agency.

The world we live in is full of omnipresent electronic surveillance equipment and software. Video surveillance, such as street monitors, car driving recorders, satellite monitors, google maps,... can be seen at any time and any place. People excessively rely on computers and the Internet. There is no personal privacy on Facebook, Weibo or Line. There are also hackers who are able to hack in our computers or mobile phones, to look at our documents and files, even to put a virus or information we do not want to see. Along with the development of science and technology, we are gradually getting used to the habit of exposing ourselves, and to living on a big stage of a “reality show”. This rationalizes the human desire to spy on others, curiosity and mistrust among people.

Little by little, we are becoming accustomed to expressing ourselves, yet at the same time, we worry about the lack of privacy. We are spying on others, but at the same time, we set up regulations and codes of ethics. Every day we read, listen and receive information from mass media, the Internet, real broadcasting or by word of mouth,... All of this information makes our personal judgment blurry. Nowadays, listen but do not hear, speak but do not say, watch but do not see is becoming the most important issue among people.