"Undercurrent (伏流)" Solo Exhibition by Li Yueh-ling (李岳凌)

Dynasty Gallery (朝代畫廊) announces that we will hold the opening reception for the solo exhibition "Undercurrent" (伏流) by Taiwanese photographic artist Li Yueh-ling (李岳凌) on May 16 at 4 PM, with the exhibition running until June 27. This exhibition presents Li Yueh-ling's (李岳凌) photographic project along the Tsengwen River (曾文溪) basin in southern Taiwan, the mother river of the region, continuing his long-term focus on the relationship between body, faith, and land. "Undercurrent" (伏流) follows the perceptual exploration of his 2017 photobook "Raw Soul," delving further into the depths of folk belief and collective memory, attempting to capture spiritual traces that are gradually fading in the process of modernization yet continue to flow.

The creative background stems from the history and belief context of the Tsengwen River (曾文溪) basin. This river, once called the "Green Blind Snake" (青瞑蛇), has changed course many times. Its instability has profoundly shaped the local understanding of nature and spirits. In the ritual ceremonies of various villages, spirit mediums (乩童) summon deities through possession and bodily practices to ward off calamities and soothe historical trauma. People also gain spiritual comfort from these practices, making faith an important pillar of daily life. As society evolves, these traditions gradually change. However, in Li Yueh-ling's (李岳凌) images, one can still see local residents continuing the cultural traces left by their ancestors between the tangible and intangible, transforming viewing into a shared perceptual experience.

During the shooting process, the artist looked back at the turning points in his own life, thereby becoming aware of the deep connection between individual experience and the history of the land. "Undercurrent" (伏流) thus points to a collective "scar structure": accumulated trauma transforms into faith over time and becomes the spiritual force that sustains the community. The everyday life on the river's surface and the invisible flow beneath it intertwine, presenting an unstable yet continuously operating inner balance. Poet Wu Yu-hsuan (吳俞萱) believes that the key to "Undercurrent" (伏流) lies in re-examining the "surface." By getting close to objects and compressing space, Li Yueh-ling (李岳凌) makes the images no longer just for telling stories, but lets the画面 itself stand. Things like bloodstains, peeling paint, or hanging objects appear static yet imply inner change and power, creating tension between stability and collapse. In terms of image arrangement, "Undercurrent" (伏流) does not follow a linear narrative but forms a dreamlike viewing experience through echoes and connections between images, allowing viewers to feel and understand freely. Compared to the more symbolic expression of "Raw Soul," "Undercurrent" (伏流) confronts things themselves more directly, emphasizing "what you see is what it is," and further responds to the question of how we see, remember, and understand the world.

This exhibition will also hold a symposium and the launch of the photobook "Undercurrent" (伏流) on June 6, featuring a dialogue between Professor Shen Chao-liang (沈昭良) and Li Yueh-ling (李岳凌). Starting from the creative method, visual language, and the context of contemporary Taiwanese documentary photography, they will delve into the generative process and viewing perspectives of "Undercurrent" (伏流). On that day, the artist will also debut his latest photobook "Undercurrent" (伏流 Undercurrent), published by the renowned Japanese photobook publisher Akakasha (赤赤舍). We sincerely invite you to attend. Dynasty Gallery welcomes you to step into the image scene of "Undercurrent" (伏流) and feel the hidden spiritual undercurrent within the surface. As we gaze upon these images, we may also realize that the traces from the land and others are intertwining with us, continuously generating within time.

Li Yueh-ling (李岳凌) began creating sound art in 2001, focusing on human soundscapes, electroacoustic music, and musique concrète. He completed postgraduate research at the Atelier de Recherche en Médias Interactifs of the École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in France in 2006. Since 2011, he has been self-taught in photography and works as a full-time artist. For him, listening, yoga, long-distance running, and photography are all practices of inner awareness—finding balance between exertion and relaxation until the boundary between inside and outside dissolves. He views photography as "automatic writing that resonates with the outside world through vision": in movement and perception, photography transforms from a record of phenomena into a ritual that summons the subconscious; the image thus becomes a trace of the invisible world developing. Solo exhibitions include "Raw Soul" (Under-throw, Kyoto, 2018; Place M, Tokyo, 2017), "Frames In-Between" (Lewis Elton Gallery, University of Surrey, UK, 2014). He has participated in group exhibitions at museums and art festivals in Taiwan, Peru, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and elsewhere. He received the Jury Special Award (2025) and First Prize (2016) in the "Photo ONE Portfolio Review" program. His photobooks "Raw Soul" (2017) and "Undercurrent" (伏流 Undercurrent) (2025) are published by Akakasha (赤赤舍) in Kyoto, Japan.