Step Into a Realm of Light and Shadows: Immersive Exhibition Explores Sin and Redemption
Is hell an otherworldly realm described in religion, or a reflection of humanity’s deepest desires and fears? The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts is presenting the immersive exhibition “Hell Realm” at U-108 SPACE through September 27. Combining video, sound, ritual performance, and spatial installations, the exhibition creates a sensory journey that moves between reality and the underworld.Created by artist Yao Jui-Chung and the new media art collective Horizon Realm, the exhibition draws inspiration from Taiwan’s folk beliefs surrounding hell. Beginning with the question, “Can hell cease to exist?”, the work reinterprets religious elements such as chanting, repentance, punishment, salvation of spirits, and redemption. Through large-scale projections, surround sound, and immersive spatial design, visitors become more than spectators—they are drawn into a ritual-like environment where light and sound guide them through a symbolic passage into hell.Yao Jui-Chung noted that he has been researching Taiwan’s hell culture since 2018, visiting temples and sites across the island that feature the Eighteen Levels of Hell. Through this artistic project, he hopes to reinterpret traditional images of hell and encourage audiences to reflect on morality, karma, and the value of life. According to Yao, the central message of the work is: “Do no evil, practice all good.”“Hell Realm” uses large-scale projections, surround sound, and spatial installations to reinterpret Taiwan’s folk beliefs about hell through contemporary art.(Photo/National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts/Photography by Wang Shih-Pang, ANPIS FOTO)The Horizon Realm team contributed extensive field research, 3D scanning, and digital modeling to recreate scenes inspired by Taiwan’s hell culture. Throughout the exhibition, visitors are guided through symbolic spaces including dark caverns, the Ten Courts of Hell, and the Naihe Bridge, experiencing an immersive atmosphere where religious ritual, collective guilt, and reflections on human nature converge.The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts stated that “Hell Realm” is not only a contemporary reinterpretation of traditional religious beliefs, but also an invitation for audiences to reconsider the complex relationships between religion, emotion, and contemporary society through an immersive artistic experience.