Conceptualizing iconoclasm and Taiwanese art: sociopolitical implications.

Wu, Chieh-Hsiang

This visual essay uses the concept of iconoclasm from Western art history as a comparative framework to contextualize Taiwanese art. Originally rooted in early Western and Christian art history, it has evolved as it traveled eastward, adapting to different contexts. Today, iconoclasm extends beyond the destruction of sacred images and the desecration of religious art; it has also entered the realm of political discourse. This study analyzes iconoclasm through three lenses: first, as a characteristic of Taiwan's emerging contemporary art trends that appropriate religious imagery; second, as a reflection of the rivalry between Taiwan's self-defined modernity and the Western model of modernity; and third, as an examination of the conflict between the premodern use of religious imagery and the pursuit of artistic autonomy in the public sphere. These rivalries highlight the ambiguity within Taiwan's art scene, which seeks to assert its modernity after decades of following Western standards, complicated by various tensions, including those between democratic legitimacy and divine authority. This essay reflects on how, for Taiwan (and many other non-Western cultures), animism and polytheism remain central to belief systems and everyday life. For Taiwanese artists and curators, this distinction serves as a narrative tool to explore the island's histories and political realities. Juxtaposing Western and Taiwanese examples reveals the paradoxical and multifaceted nature of iconoclasm in contemporary art.

TAIWAN; RELIGIOUS art; MODERN art; ART; CHRISTIAN art & symbolism; LEGITIMACY of governments; ART history

World Art, 2025, Vol 15, Issue 2, p245

2150-0894

Academic Journal

10.1080/21500894.2024.2428592