If you are successful and receive the £10,000 bursary, please tell us what you would use the funding for. Explain how this award will help move your artistic practice forward and what you hope to achieve. (350 words)
If awarded the £10,000 bursary, I would use the funding to expand The Hardware Archive (www.hardwarearchive.org), a long-term artistic research project that documents and re-contextualises utilitarian hardware objects—such as hinges, hooks, and brackets—within anthropological and aesthetic frameworks.
To date, the archive predominantly features items collected from Europe and East Asia, largely reflecting my personal and professional trajectories. However, to deepen the project’s global relevance and complexity, I plan to undertake two research trips to regions I have yet to explore in person: South America and Africa. These trips would allow me to engage with local markets, repair shops, craftspeople, and hardware retailers—documenting, acquiring, and interviewing as part of the fieldwork. I am particularly interested in how different cultural, climatic, and economic conditions influence the forms and functions of hardware in daily life.
The collected materials will not only enrich the digital archive but also form the foundation of a new immersive installation. I envision creating a spatial environment that brings together these found objects in sculptural and performative ways—inviting visitors to reflect on notions of utility, locality, and design vernacular. Through sound, light, and interactive display, the installation will celebrate both the individuality and universality of these seemingly mundane objects.
Additionally, I intend to produce a comprehensive publication to accompany this next phase of the project. This book would include object photography, field notes, essays, and interviews, serving both as an artistic artefact and a resource for designers, anthropologists, and curious publics. The funding would support travel, material acquisition, production costs, and publication development.
Receiving the Dover Prize would provide not just financial support but a validation of research-led, materially grounded practice. It would allow me to stretch the geographical and conceptual boundaries of The Hardware Archive, deepen my engagement with communities and contexts unfamiliar to me, and move closer to realizing the project’s full potential as both an artistic and anthropological inquiry.
The Dover Prize Fund has its roots in Darlington. Please explain how you believe your work might enhance and raise the profile of the creative arts in the area. (200 words)
I would like to undertake a two-month self-organised residency in Darlington as a core part of my Dover Prize proposal. This residency would allow me to research the town’s relationship with domestic and industrial hardware—both historically and in contemporary everyday life. I’m particularly interested in how Darlington’s industrial heritage and local culture have shaped the use, availability, and design of utilitarian objects such as brackets, handles, and fasteners.
By connecting with local residents, markets, hardware stores, workshops, and archives, I aim to document and collect stories and artifacts that reflect the area’s unique design vernacular. This research will not only contribute to The Hardware Archive but will directly inform the final installation for the Dover Prize exhibition—positioning Darlington as a key site that ties together global perspectives from my research in Africa and South America.
Through artist talks, open studio sessions, or workshops during the residency, I hope to create moments of public engagement and exchange. By centring Darlington in this project, I hope to contribute to the local creative landscape and spark curiosity around the cultural value of everyday materials—raising the profile of the arts through shared, grounded experiences.
Eligibility
Please tell us about your practice. Please include any recent exhibitions if applicable. (350 words)
I am a Taiwanese artist based in London, working across drawing, object, installation, and live performance. My practice is deeply informed by material culture and anthropological studies, leading me to investigate the usage, consumption, creation, and trade of artifacts, as well as the behaviors, norms, and rituals associated with them. Intrigued by tensions embedded in everyday scenarios, each series of my work scrutinizes a specific interaction between a daily object and its user. In 2024, I presented “Wind Tracing” at the minus20degree Biennale in Flachau, Austria, a collaborative performance with artist Fabio Spink. This 90-minute live piece utilised multiple portable windsock installations to measure the velocity of airflows generated by local winter activities such as skiing, sledding, and snow trekking. By exploiting naturally occurring and man-made air currents in a sculptural way, we investigated subtle tensions between Flachau’s socio-cultural and geographical landscape. A documentary film of the project: A satellite exhibition happening simultaneously at the biennale:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsI7mQ4LCVc Through my practice, I seek to create works that are both conceptually rigorous and accessible, inviting audiences to engage with the overlooked aspects of daily life. I am eager to continue this exploration and believe the Dover Prize would provide an invaluable opportunity to further develop my practice and engage with new communities.
Do you have a degree in visual or applied arts at undergraduate and/or post-graduate level? Please provide details. (200 words)
I hold a BA Industrial Design degree from Shih Chien University in Taipei, Taiwan. I also underwent a one-year carpentry course in Taipei Contemporary Wood Art Centre.
Have you previously received professional grants or awards? Please give details. (200 words)
Awards: Finalist, East London Art Prize 2025 Longlisted, Aesthetica Art Prize 2023 Winner, Dezeen Award 2022
Grants: British Council – International Project Grant (for the minus20degree bienalle) a-n bursaries by The Artists Information Company (for research) National Foundation of Arts and Culture of Taiwan – multiple grants for multiple projects
Are you involved in organising self-created professional opportunities, for example, running an artist-led studio or project? (200 words)
I am actively involved in creating self-initiated professional opportunities through The Hardware Archive, a long-term artistic research project and growing online platform that I founded and continue to lead. Since its inception, The Hardware Archive has extended beyond the digital realm to become a vehicle for community engagement. I have organised and facilitated numerous workshops internationally, working with a wide range of participants—from children and students to artists and design professionals. These workshops explore the tactile, narrative, and functional qualities of hardware through hands-on making, storytelling, and object analysis. Past workshops have taken place in institutions and public spaces across the UK, Taiwan, Austria, and more. The project is also supported by an online platform: www.instagram.com/hardware_archive that continues to grow as a community resource. It showcases contributions from around the world, encourages public submissions, and sparks conversations around the overlooked beauty and function of utilitarian objects. Through these ongoing initiatives, I remain committed to self-organising and building accessible, cross-cultural spaces for creative exploration, collaboration, and learning outside of traditional art institutions.
Have you been previously commissioned as an artist by a public institution? (200 words)
I was recently commissioned by the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London for the project Health and Safety, which was exhibited in 2024 as part of the museum’s Design 1900–Now gallery. This commission invited me to respond to the theme of “protection” through an object-based installation that re-examines overlooked design typologies.
For this project, I created a series of wearable metal structures inspired by hardware components commonly used for domestic safety—such as corner protectors, door stoppers, and wall guards. These forms were reimagined as ambiguous, body-adjacent sculptures that explored the tension between care and control, vulnerability and restraint. The work invited reflection on how notions of protection are physically imposed on our bodies through design, especially in institutional and domestic settings.
The commission was accompanied by interpretive text and public programming that engaged visitors in the material, emotional, and socio-political dimensions of everyday safety devices. It was a significant opportunity to bring my object-based and research-driven practice into dialogue with a broad public audience in one of the UK’s leading cultural institutions.
This experience strengthened my interest in exploring the politics of material culture and affirmed my commitment to producing work that bridges art, design, and lived experience.
Has your artwork been purchased by a public collection? Please provide details. (200 words)
N/A
Has your artwork been reviewed or featured in an art journal, magazine, newspaper or online curated platform? Please provide details. (200 words max)
Are you represented by a gallery? Please provide details. (200 words)
I am currently represented by Vasto Gallery in Barcelona, Spain. Together we have built a few shows collaborating with artists of other disciplines to create immersive experiences through ephemeral installations and live performances. www.vasto.es
Have you taken part in a recognised residency or artist placement scheme? (200 words)
I am currently a resident at Acme Fire Station Residency on a three year programme. This fixed-term residency is intended to allow artists more time to concentrate on the development of their work and professional careers, and less time working to survive. https://acme.org.uk/acme-50/50-opportunities-for-50-years/50-opportunities-41/
In 2020, I was a resident at Somerset House Studio for six months with the Maker with a Mission programme.
