Chou Yu-Cheng Rainbow Paint, 2011 Screen printing on canvas 138 x 138 cm Chou Yu-Cheng disputed chromatism with Kuandu Fine Arts Museum by arguing that there are two distinct types of white box in Taiwan. One is pure-white, and another lily-white. He also emphasized that the neutral pure-white is of special significance to contemporary art spaces. In such choosy aesthetics lies exactly Chou’s crafty plot. He “smuggled” Rainbow paint (a well-known brand of paint in Taiwan) into the exhibition venue when he was disputing with the museum. What Chou “smuggled” was obviously not only a reference color, but also a brand, a corporation, and a resource chain. Paint is as significant as fluorescent tubes. They collectively actualized numerous exhibitions with their quiet existence in museums. However, the idea that they respectively represent a complete industry seldom comes into our mind. In fact, the industries they represent consist of manufacturers, factories, orders, and distribution channels. Together with the museum/gallery system, they developed a thriving art industry. After the end of this exhibition, Chou donated the pure-white paint to another art space that was willing to use it, where a painting in Andy Warhol’s style clearly reflected that Chou’s project granted the ready-made a new life.
