Accident Realm: Ashen Atrocities on a Desolate Island  
  Abandoned Pets and Stray Animals Ashes
20 square meter site
Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei
2011
 
 

Accident Realm is the title of an ongoing series of artworks by Taiwanese artist Chang Lishan, who currently resides in New York City. The overriding theme of this series is the exploration of the overlap between man and Nature, and the detrimental consequences that often result from their meeting. Though the very cradle of life, more and more Nature has become a dangerous realm where "accidents" take place.

Created especially for the exhibition LIVE AMMO at the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei, Lishan Chang's Accident Realm: Ashen Atrocities on a Desolate Island addresses the issue of abandoned pets and stray animals in Taiwan. The work consists of bone ashes of such animals that have been caught and subjected to euthanasia and cremation. Visitors are invited to place the ashes into envelopes that will be mail to those bureaus that have been officially created to "deal with" these animals. Such action, Chang believes, not only raises public awareness of this growing social problem, but also forces government officials to face the grim "products" of their cruel policy, and pushes them toward a better, more humane solution.