Modern Art Gallery
現代畫廊
since 1982
online gallery

Installation I: Giardino della Marinaressa (Outdoor Sculpture Garden)

Towering at 8.88 meters, the

《King Kon Rhino》 stood sentinel by the Venetian waterfront. Its mirror-polished surface reflected shifting skies, drifting clouds, and the city’s timeless rhythms. The sharply pointed titanium horn reached skyward, evoking faith, endurance, and transcendence.

Referencing ancient Chinese stone rhinos once placed at royal tombs as spiritual guardians, Shih revitalizes the tradition with contemporary scale and material—transforming it into a public monument that resonates with modern civic identity.

Installation II: Palazzo Bembo – “Birth” Room

Inside the historic Palazzo Bembo, the red chamber of Birth encircles a glowing altar-like platform featuring the Color-Titanium Rhino. Surrounded by variations including armored and animated versions, this central sculpture radiates spiritual vitality and cosmic presence.

Each piece presents the rhino as a metaphysical being—part myth, part machine—bridging the organic and the technological. Shih’s approach blends sensual form with spiritual abstraction, inviting contemplation of evolution, symbiosis, and future identity.

Installation III: Palazzo Bembo – “Death” Room

In stark contrast, the Death room is submerged in darkness. The installation 《Life is Endless》 features a golden horn piercing a mound of coins, with blood-red resin slowly dripping from its tip. Opposite stands a baby rhino, silent witness to the unfolding tragedy. Audio of gunshots and sobbing punctuate the space.

Here, Shih delivers a visceral indictment of poaching, greed, and ecological destruction—transforming the gallery into a shrine of mourning and awareness.

Symbolism and Sculptural Language

Shih’s rhino is more than an animal; it is a symbol of human resilience, moral strength, and the spiritual cost of modern progress. Through mirrored surfaces, viewers not only see the sculpture—but see themselves reflected within it.

The forms echo Gothic spires and futuristic armor, yet remain rooted in Eastern spiritual thought. The artist's sculptural language resists narrative, favoring archetype and resonance over literal representation.

Conclusion: Sculpture as Civic Conscience

"The Reappearing King Kong Rhino" marked a landmark moment for Taiwanese contemporary art on the world stage. Shih’s mirrored rhinos are not merely sculptures—they are cultural sentinels. They call upon us to reflect, remember, and recommit to a future where nature and humanity coexist.

In standing before the King Kong Rhino, we do not simply behold a beast—we confront our own civilization’s reflection.