The visual artist named aka_chang 張方禹 can create a mood and an experience simply by his choice in lights, graphics, and music, He first became interested in art in the mid-80s and 90s. As an aspiring artist, however, it was not as an easy to learn and gather information about art as it is today. “For the younger me, the best way for me learn about visual artwork was through the MTV channel (especially in the mid-night session),” he says. “So many alternative sounds and visual effects were feeding my eyes and planted the seed for me to develop VJ and the audiovisual creations.”
He went on to attend a well-known design school in Taipei, Taiwan―Shih Chien University, Department of Fashion Design. “Except for the sewing, I spent all of my school time focusing on graphic design and the post visual effects, especially the VJ technique.”
aka_chang 張方禹 has a creative process that generally includes first analyzing the venue space, whether he will be working in person, through the 3D simulation, etc. “Then I will think about the light structures that need to be designed and placed and how people interplay with lights, and what they might experience in both sensual or emotional ways.” Although he approaches the light installation process in a logical way, aka_chang 張方禹 knows more must be involved when choosing the sound to pair with the installation. “The audience might have a cold response when just looking at the imagery. So, I need music to help raise the temperature a bit,” he says. “I love that sound adds warmness just like silky light leaks into a dark space.”
