The Rats Race

Tsui Kuang-Yu’s video work is a game involving “people,” “existentialist state” and “the environment.” The game involves ridiculous and hilarious behavior in a familiar urban setting and seeks to confuse people’s habitual understanding of the environment in which they live. Through action it is possible to temporarily change reality in an attempt to upturn existing urban life. The setting for this piece is a street scene in London. As soon as the green light appears the artist rushes forward waving a checkered flag (the type one sees at car races). At the same time, motorists find themselves laughing at Tsui’s behavior. They soon find themselves in a car race. The artist uses the scene to make a joke at the expense of urban life. At the same time, he also challenges the way in which we habitually think of urban space through the always-busy Zhongxiao East Road and the MRT line.