Catalogue > At random

In Spear, Che-Wei Chen collaborates with a friend who was diagnosed with dissociative disorder. The film starts with the individual experience. It attempts to transform the fragment of traumatic memory into an artistic way. During the shooting, it includes the scene of hypnosis that the subject suddenly switches between personality states. The film blurs the lines between documentary and fiction; likewise, it unfolds a compound experience intertwined with reality and fantasy. The film examines the human being under the state of discipline and the mute condition of language. We also gain an insight into the archetypes of trauma: violence, power, oppression and control technologies, etc.

Che-Wei Chen is a visual artist and filmmaker based in Taipei. His recent practice has focused on the subjectivity of people with mental disorders and reflected upon the complexity of contemporary conditions. He explores the boundaries between reality and fiction through multiple perspectives within complex structures and narratives. His work not only reveals the repressed collective unconscious but also re-examines the power and political structures underlying the social system. Besides, he also addresses issues such as postcolonialism, modernity, classification, biopolitics, etc.