Culture
Not Only Observing the World as It Is, but Challenging the Way We See It
Art gradually changes the way you see the world.
When you spend time with works like these, you may find yourself pausing to ask:
“How is the world I am in now different from the one I just stepped into?”
Duration：2019~
"Untitled", 2019 Photo © 原間影像工作室
Rationale
Artist Ann Veronica Janssens (AJV) once said that she is fascinated by “things that disappear”—not because she wants to capture them, but because she wants to experiment with sensations that cannot be captured in the first place.
In 2019, we first encountered her work at a contemporary art fair in Paris.
It looked like a jewelry display case—but inside was an empty tank of water.
Our initial reaction was instinctive:
“Why is it empty?”
“What exactly is this?”
“What is it supposed to hold?”
It was precisely this sense of confusion that made us want to understand more.
Green, Yellow and Pink Photo © ANPIS FOTO
Initiatives
Through further conversations with the gallery, we gradually came to understand that AJV’s works are not meant to be explained—they are meant to be experienced.
You do not need to know art history.
You do not need professional training.
You simply step into the work, and the experience unfolds naturally.
What is fascinating is that each person’s experience differs entirely—shaped by their background, memories, and state of mind.
This is not interaction guided by wall text or interpretation.
It is something you must feel for yourself.
And that can be profoundly moving.
To be honest, at first we simply thought it was strange and intriguing.
But once you begin noticing the relationship between the work and its surroundings—the reflections, the light, the shifting space—you start to perceive its depth.
These are not works you understand at a glance.
They grow more compelling the longer you stay with them.
In that moment, you realize:
“Ah—this is unmistakably AJV.”
AJV’s work is not about a single image.
It is about time, space, and perception.
From three-dimensional space to what feels like entering another world altogether, every viewer’s sensation is different.
These works do not exist only in the eye.
They influence your mood, your awareness, even your immediate state of being.
Few works achieve this level of layered interaction.
Impact
Art slowly reshapes the way you perceive the world.
After spending time with works like these, you may find yourself quietly asking:
“How is the world I am in now different from the world I just experienced?”
There is no single correct answer.
It shifts with your mood, your stage of life, your internal state.
But you will feel it clearly—
they are two entirely different worlds.
We have always believed that powerful works deserve to be experienced by more people.
Collecting art is, in many ways, like the path one walks through life.
You hope the scenery along the way will be diverse—so you must be willing to explore different possibilities.
There is no need to rush to “understand,”
and no need to rush to be “right.”
Look more.
Feel more.
In time, you will discover your own direction.
If this way of thinking can bring even a small new spark to Taiwan’s collecting culture—
or open up new possibilities of imagination—
then it is already worthwhile.
Art slowly reshapes the way you perceive the world.
After spending time with works like these, you may find yourself quietly asking:
“How is the world I am in now different from the world I just experienced?”
There is no single correct answer.
It shifts with your mood, your stage of life, your internal state.
But you will feel it clearly—
they are two entirely different worlds.
We have always believed that powerful works deserve to be experienced by more people.
Collecting art is, in many ways, like the path one walks through life.
You hope the scenery along the way will be diverse—so you must be willing to explore different possibilities.
There is no need to rush to “understand,”
and no need to rush to be “right.”
Look more.
Feel more.
In time, you will discover your own direction.
If this way of thinking can bring even a small new spark to Taiwan’s collecting culture—
or open up new possibilities of imagination—
then it is already worthwhile.
