Department of Cultural Affairs

The “Beta+” exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, (MoCA) brings together nine individual artists and groups from Taiwan, France, Mongolia, and Singapore, who explore the transience and instability of society in the face of rapidly advancing digital technology. 

A beta is a testing phase. it signifies a continuous state of experimentation. Everything nowadays—information, products, even our daily lives—seems like a “beta version,” waiting for the next update. The “+” in the title represents the artists’ extension of the concept of beta, moving from the technical framework of software-testing to the realm of artistic creation.

The term “beta” comes from β, the second letter of the Greek alphabet. In modern technology, it signifies a product development testing phase, when the product’s basic functions are complete, but further testing and refinement are still required. Similarly, today’s society, driven by digital media, remains in a constant state of “testing.” The rapid iteration of information and technology has made transience and immediacy core values. Our pursuit of novelty has gradually shaped a visual culture that places the immediacy and novelty of content at the center of consumer motivation.

In addition to exploring the concept of testing in technology, the exhibition also extends this idea to artistic creation, interrogating the notion of completeness. In the artistic process, testing is no longer a simple trial but has become a core element of the work’s development. Through ongoing experimentation, artists redefine the completeness of their works, emphasizing the flexibility and uncertainty inherent in the creative process. This is precisely what the “+” symbol represents: artists no longer seek finished products but instead create new visual languages through the collision of materials, media, and imagination.

The exhibition also examines the generation and production mechanisms behind the works. While its theme is rooted in digital technology and industrial phenomena, the artists return to a materials-based approach, reconsidering the essence of their creations. The artists revisit physical exploration in the context of today’s digital age, emphasizing the importance of tangible materials in contemporary art and questioning whether a work truly needs to reach a fixed “complete” state.

The works on display span a range of media and creative methods, including digital algorithms, organic materials, kinetic devices, chemistry experiments, site-specific performances, and game-like landscapes. These pieces reflect the artists’ keen observations of new technologies while also showcasing their deep engagement with traditional materials. Some works use digital algorithms to create continuously changing visual effects, challenging the audience’s perception of fixed forms, while others combine organic materials and kinetic devices to highlight the instability of the work on a physical level.

Beta+ invites the audience to engage with the impermanence and transience of the works through interactive participation. This interaction goes beyond visual experience, and the audience is encouraged to reflect on the process of creation. Each piece seems to be unfinished, awaiting the audience’s involvement to become complete.

Beta+ is not just a visual feast. It is an in-depth discussion of the essence of art and its future possibilities. Through this exhibition, the artists extend the concepts of “testing” and “unfinished” to artistic creation, challenging the audience’s traditional understanding of fixed forms in art.