The exhibition "Unlimited Limited" presents the works of nine artists who, despite using the same medium of photography, reveal distinctly different artistic worlds through their lenses, capturing both the everyday and the imaginary.
The purpose of this exhibition stems from a fundamental question about the complex and intertwined consumer desires of modern society: What are we ultimately yearning for behind these desires? This exhibition seeks to share our thoughts on this matter.
Breaking free from limited thinking, the exhibition space is reconsidered in relation to both the audience and local residents. Everyday objects from the residents' lives—such as chairs—are incorporated into the exhibition, coexisting with conceptual and installation art. The traditional unilateral authority of the artist is shared with the audience. Local viewers, alongside the artists, gain authorship, transforming the once-restricted exhibition space into a small-scale public art scene.
"Unlimited calling!" A slogan widely used by telecommunications companies to promote their devices and services, suggesting limitless communication. But is unlimited calling truly feasible? Even if one were to use their phone for all 24 hours of the day, the available talk time remains inherently limited—24 hours per day, 720 hours per month, 8,760 hours per year. The same applies to so-called unlimited data plans, despite the vast amount of information on the internet. The term itself is an obvious linguistic contradiction, yet such language has become a tangible social symbol of modern life, reflecting the insatiable consumer desires of today’s society.
Unlimited coffee refills, all-you-can-eat meat, endless tuna, unlimited eel... Have we, at some point, begun to overuse the term "unlimited" in our daily lives? Is it because we have only recently escaped an era of scarcity? Or is it that we simply want to believe we have overcome it? Whatever the reason, the rampant use of the word "unlimited" in our society is undeniable. However, there is a critical issue in its usage: what we are actually consuming is not something that can be supplied infinitely but rather something that is "limitlessly" provided within finite constraints. The term "unlimited" should, in reality, be replaced with "limitless."
An intriguing contradiction arises as contemporary consumers exhibit an obsession with "limited editions." Is it not ironic? The same people who once pursued a culture of boundless consumption now deliberately impose restrictions on production. It seems as though the unrestricted consumer desires that once sought liberation from limitations in modern society are now reversing in contemporary times—as if limitless consumption itself has become an object of rebellion.