Read out the violation

The Human Touch and Atmosphere in Urban Nooks and Crannies --
The Hidden Order in Contemporary Asian Cities, Derived from the Most Natural Textures of Daily Life

　　"Illegal buildings" are manifestations of everyday life that grow out of the nooks and crannies of cities. They are the architecture of the people, outlining the true texture of ordinary life at the grassroots level. They are also a hundred ways to stand with the people, an extension stemming from the human body and life itself. They are small, illegal revolutions, temporary and guerrilla-like, yet they sprout everywhere, ceaselessly. They are the epitome of vitality at the bottom of the city.

　　The exhibition "Reading Illegality: The Architecture of Wang Shu and Hsieh Ying-Chun," curated by Ruan Qing-Yue and executed by the JUT Foundation for Arts and Architecture, features two works by architects Wang Shu and Hsieh Ying-Chun. Wang Shu designed "Square and Round," and Hsieh Ying-Chun created "Peach Blossom Spring in the Back Alley," both located on the rooftop and in the back alley of the Urban Art District, utilizing quickly dismantlable and assembleable wooden structures and common steel scaffolding, respectively. These two works continue the architects' consistent design philosophies over time, and spatially, they not only echo the phenomenon of illegal construction in Taipei and Taiwanese cities but also the hidden order of life in Asian cities.

　　This book not only includes exhibition records but also starts with the exhibition as its core, delving into the representative works and philosophies of the two architects. It also invites five architects and architectural critics—Marco Casagrande, Chu Rui-Chi, Yen Chung-Hsien, Wu Qi-Lin, and Wu Chieh-Chen—to engage with the works, aiming to continually inspire energy derived from "illegality" through the form of a book after the exhibition concludes. In this book, we start by "reading illegality" as a starting point, then proceed to understand illegality, and a philosophy of bottom-up spatial production/extension.

　　Therefore, the book also includes a pamphlet featuring "Three Methods of Illegal Construction" – a classification study conducted by Wang Ning and Li Mo, graduate students of architect Wang Shu at the China Academy of Art. This study examines illegal constructions in Taipei across three dimensions: space, materiality, and environmental relations, providing a clear and logical approach to understanding illegal constructions in cities.

　　Two Participating Architects

　　Taiwanese architect Hsieh Ying-Chun was awarded the American Curry Stone Design Prize in 2011, renowned for its humanitarian concern. He has been involved in post-disaster housing reconstruction since Taiwan's 921 earthquake, participating in efforts including the Sichuan earthquake in mainland China and Taiwan's Typhoon Morakot disaster, and has long been dedicated to post-natural disaster reconstruction. Compared to building luxury homes, his constant concern is "the housing problem for 70% of humanity."

　　Chinese architect Wang Shu received the German Schelling Architecture Award in 2010; his work "Decaying Dome" at the 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale's theme exhibition received a special mention. He named his studio "Amateur Architecture Studio," believing that "architectural design should only be an amateur activity; life is always more important than design."

Book Features

　　■ Scan the QR code on the back cover of the book with your mobile phone to watch the 26-minute documentary on the exhibition highlights of "Reading Illegality: The Architecture of Wang Shu and Hsieh Ying-Chun." The camera delves into the curation and construction process, fully capturing the human touch and atmosphere of "Reading Illegality" in the urban nooks and crannies through images.

About the Authors

Curator│Ruan Qing-Yue

　　Currently an Associate Professor and Department Head of the Department of Arts and Design at Yuan Ze University, he was formerly a practicing architect (licensed in the US and Taiwan); in addition to his teaching duties, he also creates literature, architectural criticism, and curates exhibitions.

　　His literary works include Lin Hsiu-Tzu's Family, Triumphant Song, Pale People Running Deer, Hsiu-Yun, and more; his architectural works include Dendrobium on the Roof, Architect's Keywords, Weak Architecture, The Next Skyline: A Study of Contemporary Chinese Architecture, totaling over 20 books.

　　He has received the Taiwan Literature Award for Essay (First Prize) and Short Story Recommendation Award, the Wu Yong-Fu 2003 Annual Literature Award, the Central Daily News Short Story Award, the Taipei Literature Award Literature Grant, was selected as one of Asia Weekly's Top Ten Chinese Books in 2004, and was shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2009.

Executive│JUT Foundation for Arts and Architecture

　　In 2007, the "JUT Foundation for Arts and Architecture" was established on the basis of a construction business, hoping to comprehensively create high-quality living spaces by focusing on architecture, art, and culture, and expanding the concern from niche environments to the ideal state of collective environmental construction.

　　Based on its knowledge and resources in the field of architecture, the JUT Foundation for Arts and Architecture combines various interdisciplinary professionals such as architects, designers, artists, and cultural workers. It is committed to caring for and developing the urban environment, and extends this commitment to art and creative industry empowerment. Through exhibitions, lectures, academic forums, seminars, and publications, it fosters a vibrant relationship between artistic creation and urban life, inspiring and enhancing people's imagination and practice of aesthetic living. This allows art and culture to germinate and thrive, establishing an interactive and active platform for mutual penetration and multi-directional advancement on the foundation of architecture.

　　Since 2007, the Foundation has successively organized the "Tomorrow Museum" exhibition series, international architectural forums, and large-scale lectures; starting in 2009, it has attempted to inject new catalysts into Taiwanese architecture through different exhibition forms such as animation, film, and installations, observing architecture from an alternative perspective (Alternative Architecture); since 2010, it has officially promoted the "Project Urbancore" art and creative residency program in idle spaces, investing civilian perspectives and vitality into urban regeneration.