Hsiao Chong-Ray

In 1987, Taiwan's post-WWII martial law, which lasted 36 years, was lifted. It was during this time that a new generation of artists began breaking the mold. Art, which in the past was seen as only a medium to reveal nature's beauty, became a form of self-expression and protest against inequality and injustice. Numerous pieces of art that criticized society and politics were created in this period. The development of critique-focused artwork is Taiwanese contemporary art's most defining feature as well as its greatest achievement.

Topics in these political critiques included the baffling events in parliamentary politics, reflections on cross-strait relations, examinations of policies directed at Taiwanese indigenous groups, and even reevaluations of Taiwan’s narrative of history. The scope of societal critiques was even larger. Artists criticized society’s worship of extravagance and expressed a wariness toward excessive lust as well as sympathy and support for disadvantaged groups, for example, women, laborers, farmers, veterans, and indigenous peoples.