South Korean artist Eunju Hong’s live performance titled “She seemed devastated, when I was weeping with joy” is part of the public programs of Screen Melancholy: Li Yi-Fan, the TFAM of Taiwan Collateral Event at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, an exhibition that reflects on humanity’s contemporary relationship with technology. Drawing on Li Yi-Fan’s research interests in puppetry, control, movement, and the human body, Eunju Hong’s performance is presented in dialogue with the exhibition. “She seemed devastated, when I was weeping with joy“ is a performance developed by Hong in 2024 and previously presented in Germany and South Korea. In the work, a performer has their body attached to a doll and, in response to the specific space in which the performance takes place, the series of movements unfold as a choreography that shifts from silence and introspection to rapid gestures that suggest a trajectory toward destruction. Unknowing what is about to happen, the audience witnesses the performance that echoes the processes of 3D scanning and image capture in the artwork. Li’s works often display a nihilistic brand of dark humor, while Hong’s performances focus on a subtle attention to movement and silence. The two artists’ approaches share a common thread, exploring themes of life, physical movement, melancholy, and pretense within contemporary culture.
Eunju Hong: She seemed devastated, when I was weeping with joy. Eunju Hong, concept & Direction, Isu Kim Lee, performer. Venice (Italy), May 7, 2026.
Taiwan presents “Screen Melancholy: Li Yi-Fan” as its Collateral Event at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Organized by the Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM), the exhibition runs from May 9 to November 22, 2026, at the historic Palazzo delle Prigioni in Venice. Artist Li Yi-Fan and curator Raphael Fonseca, both shaped by the rise of the internet, explore the melancholy induced by prolonged screen use and the anxieties of the digital age, including information overload and rapid AI development. The presentation features a new 60-minute video work centered on an “eyeball” returning home, accompanied by two smaller video pieces and large-scale 3D-printed sculptures of body parts that serve as both installation elements and seating. Drawing on Li’s practice of digital puppetry and real-time game engines, the immersive installation blurs boundaries between physical space, virtual imagery, and human perception. The project connects contemporary technological concerns with historical references such as Albrecht Dürer’s Melencolia I. Public programs and a new bilingual artist book will accompany the exhibition.
