Lin Shih-Pao: Ancient Culture in Modern Dress Zodiac Art Exhibit at the World Trade Center Oculus
From September 24 to October 7, 2024, Taiwanese-American artist Lin Shih-Pao presented his exhibition Ancient Culture in Modern Dress: Zodiac Art Exhibit at the World Trade Center Oculus.
The Oculus is not only a striking architectural landmark but also one of New York City’s most important transportation hubs. An estimated 200,000 to 300,000 people pass through the space every day, making it a vibrant crossroads of culture and daily urban life.
The exhibition reimagined the twelve zodiac animals, blending Eastern cultural heritage with the century-long history of the New York City subway system. As the MTA MetroCard is set to disappear at the end of 2024, these works serve as both a tribute and a farewell to a familiar urban symbol.
Over the course of 20 years, Lin collected 33,000 MetroCards. In the beginning, he picked up discarded cards at subway stations. Gradually, more and more people joined his peace-inspired action, with churches, schools, and even strangers helping to collect cards. From these discarded objects, he created a complete series of twelve zodiac sculptures, ranging from 4x3 feet to 7x5 feet.
For more than 40 years, Lin’s artistic practice has revolved around the themes of love, peace, and hope. By transforming recycled objects into art, he not only gives new life to discarded materials but also demonstrates how the act of recycling itself becomes a collective force of love and peace.
Curator Wei-Hsuan Chen (Kiki) shared her reflections: “Artist Lin Shih-Pao always brings astonishing works. He takes everyday objects and, through the process of collective gathering, transforms them into symbols of love and peace. This includes his projects recycling MetroCards, 25,000 second-hand cell phones, and 30,000 baseballs. Each creation reflects not only material transformation but also the power of unity and shared belief in peace.”
About the Artist
Lin Shih-Pao, born in Taiwan in 1962, has been active in the art worlds of the U.S. and Japan for nearly four decades. He has received more than 20 international awards, including recognition as an “Outstanding Artist” by the United Nations. After moving to New York in 1993 and completing his studies at NYU in 1997, Lin transitioned from traditional painting to installation and action art.
In 2023, he established the Shield Art Foundation in New York to continue his mission of fostering unity and peace through art.
About the Curator
The exhibition was curated by Wei-Hsuan Chen (Kiki), an independent curator from Taipei with an MA in Art Business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art. Residing in New Jersey, she commutes daily through the Oculus, giving her a unique connection to the space.
林世寶：十二生肖披上當代外衣 世界貿易中心藝術展
2024 年 9 月 24 日至 10 月 7 日，旅美台裔藝術家 林世寶 在世界貿易中心 Oculus 大廳 舉辦「十二生肖披上當代外衣」藝術展。
Oculus 不僅是紐約市最具代表性的建築之一，也是重要的交通樞紐，每天有 20 至 30 萬人穿梭其中，成為文化與日常生活交會的場所。
展覽以 十二生肖 為主題，結合東方文化符號與紐約地鐵百年歷史。隨著 MTA 地鐵卡（MetroCard）將於 2024 年底走入歷史，這些作品既是對日常城市記憶的致敬，也是對即將消逝符號的告別。
林世寶花費 20 年，共募集 33,000 張地鐵卡。起初，他在地鐵站撿拾人們丟棄的卡片；隨著計畫逐漸受到回響，越來越多人響應這個和平行動，在教會、學校與社群中協助募集。最終，這些看似無用的卡片化為完整的 十二生肖雕塑，作品大小從 4x3 呎到 7x5 呎 不等。
在過去 四十年 的創作中，林世寶始終圍繞 愛、和平與希望 三個主題。他以回收物件為材料，將其轉化為藝術品；這不僅是再生創作的過程，更象徵著 回收本身就是凝聚愛與和平的力量。
策展人 陳唯瑄 (Wei-Hsuan Chen, Kiki) 表示：「林世寶藝術家總是能帶來令人驚艷的作品，將習以為常的事物透過集結的過程，化為愛與和平的象徵。他曾以回收 3 萬 3 千張地鐵卡、2 萬 5 千支二手手機、3 萬顆棒球等創作雕塑。這些作品不只是材料的轉化，更代表了團結力量與人們對和平的共同信念。」
關於藝術家
林世寶 1962 年生於台灣，活躍於美國及日本藝壇近四十年，曾獲聯合國「傑出藝術家」肯定及 20 多項國際大獎。1993 年移居紐約，1997 年畢業於紐約大學後，從傳統繪畫轉向裝置與行為藝術，長期以 和平、愛與希望 為創作核心。
2023 年，他於紐約創立 盾牌基金會（Shield Art Foundation），持續推動以藝術促進國際交流與和平。
關於策展人
本展由 陳唯瑄 (Wei-Hsuan Chen, Kiki) 策劃。台北人，畢業於紐約蘇富比藝術學院藝術商業碩士，目前定居新澤西，每日通勤於紐約與紐澤西會經過 Oculus ，因此主動向World Trade Center提案合作展覽。
