“Temperature surfing on a long bench”
2015 | bench, cinema effect equipment - Fog machine, Wind Machine, Sun light spot, water drip irrigation system, water pump. 500x 220x 90 cm (approximately)
“Temperature surfing” is a term referencing the perfect conditions for extracting an espresso, the coffee with the minimum amount of liquid for the maximum flavour, taste, smell. Kuo-Wei Lin creates a hybrid physical experience, an inter-chaining of artificial sensory effect, through the reconfiguration of domestic IKEA benches, a fog machine, a raining system, and a day spotlight. Lin proposes a group of items viewed as a whole rather than individually.
Lin considers the bench as a space of encounter with known and unknowns. He intends to draw attention to the state of an in/outdoor situation as well as to accentuate the nuance between natural and artificial circumstances. The use of IKEA benches in public spaces interests Lin because IKEA objects are normally used for domestic spaces. The bench blurs a domestic/public border. Benches are often shared with strangers as well as friends/family and is a site for togetherness, co-existence or separation.
Lin seeks to reorientate the viewer to a visual and tactile experience. Contrasting the emotional sublime of the sensory experience with the detachment of a machine, may invoke a sense of powerlessness in the viewer. The installation directs an artificial simulation and an unexpected confrontation. The work may activate various associations from viewer, as well as a state of melancholy.
