CHANG Chao-Tang
張照堂
Chao-Tang Chang born in1943 November 17 in Panchiao City, Taipei County, Taiwan. Chang Chao-Tang is Taiwan’s most representative photographer. During the 1960s, in the conservative society of Taiwan, Chang Chao-Tang was a college student, profoundly moved and influenced by the social realist works in literature and surrealist painting. He published a series of absurd works that expressed his sense of ridiculousness and desolation. These included the works “Blurriness”, “White powder on peoples’ faces”, “Figure without a head”, and “Shaken-up image of the body”. He found the camera a direct way to relieve his oppression as well as release his rebellious energy. His unique style made a great impression on Taiwanese photography, and he not only had exhibitions at home but also received international appreciation. In 2013, he had his first major retrospective exhibition in the Taipei Fine Art Museum.
Chronology
1958 - studies with Cheng Shang-Hsi at the photography club in Cheng Kung Senior High School
1961 - studies at the Department of Civil Engineering, National Taiwan University, devoted to conceptual photography which reflects the modernist trend
1965 - first exhibition "2-Men Contemporary Photography" Taipei
1968 - work as a filmmaker for China Television Co. Taiwan, specializing in newsreel and documentary series for 13 years
1976 - makes documentaries about Taiwan and photographs with a realist orientation
1980 - awarded Best TV Cinematographer / Editor of the Year for "The Boat - Burning Ceremony" and Best Documentary Cinematographer for "An Old House - Chinese Traditional Architecture" Taiwan
1990 - curates and participates in the exhibition "Seeing - Perpectives of Nine Photographers"Taipei
1993 - organizes the exhibition "Image of Cloud Gate Dance Group in 20 Years" and the exhibition "View on the Tamsui River in 50 Years" Taipei and Paris
1997 - teaches at the Graduate Institute of Sound and Image Studies in Documentary, Tainan National University of the Art Taiwan
1998 - organizes exhibitions "Image of Hakka" and "Taipei - Pass away"
2000 - organizes the exhibition "The Homeland - After the 921 Earthquake" Taipei
2001 - organizes the exhibition "Dancing in the Wind" Shinchu
2002 - organizes group exhibition "V-10 / 30 Years after" Taipei
Publications
2010 - "Moments in Time 1959-2005" NCU Art Center
2010 - "The Invisible Contact 1959-1961" self-publishing
2013 - "Time: The Images of Chang Chao-Tang, 1959-2013" Taipei Fine Arts Museum
2013 - "VOP Issue 10: The Chang Chao-Tang Issue" Voices of Photography
Selected Solo Exhibitions
1983 - "Himan Grace and Forgiveness" Taipei and San Francisco
1985 - "Chang's Image of Taiwan" Hong Kong
1986 - "Trip - Reverse" Taipei
1986 - "Image from the East" New York
1994 - "Image of Trip - Reverse" Paris
1996 - "Summer of 1962" Taipei
2009 - "Within, Without" Epson Art Gallery, Taipei
2009 - "Years in, Years out" Place M Gallery, Tokyo
2009 - "Years in, Years out" Gallery Now, Seoul
2010 - "Moments in Time" National Central University, Chongli City
2010 - "Moments in Time" Providence University, Taichung
2010 - "Moments in Time" National Chen Kung University, Tainan
2010 - "The Invisible Contact" Tivac Gallery, Taipei
2014 - "Images of Youth" Tosei-sha Gallery, Tokyo
2014 - "Body and Scenes 1962-1985" Zen Foto Gallery, Tokyo
2014 - "Before & After" Place M Gallery, Tokyo
Selected Group Exhibitions
1971 - "V-10/Womanology" Taipei
1994 - "Contemporary Photographt from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan" Hong Kong
1996 - "Asian View" Tokyo
2004 - "Retrospective - Taiwan Art Scene in the 70s" Taipei
2006 - "Retrospective - Taiwan Photography" Beijing and Shanghai
2007 - "A Legend of Rose Marie Gallery 1953-1973" Taipei
2007 - "Guangzhou Photo Biennial" Guangdong and Shanghai
2008 - "Masterpieces by Artist of Taiwan" Kaohsiung Art Museum
2008 - "Home - Taiwan Biennial" National Taiwan Art Museum
2008 - "The hidden 4 - Daegu Photo Biennale" Korea
