This series of works details the social landscape born from modern day pop culture and fads. A few years ago, claw machines in Taiwan enjoyed immense popularity. With an iconic silhouette and a ubiquitous presence, their brand recognition was unparalleled; in fact, it was often redundant. Consumption of claw machines was usually spontaneous, unplanned; consumers were drawn in by the promise of novelty rather than any specific brand name. As such, branding became unnecessary. To cut costs, many arcade proprietors opted out of signage on their storefronts. In fact, they would go so far as to forgo removing the previous business’ signage. Now we see signs demarcating record stores, motorcycle dealerships, shrines, and churches—but their spaces are filled with the fluorescent lights of claw machines, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This discrepancy between label and product creates a landscape ringing with cognitive dissonance. Between mercurial business models and an increase of online marketing, many businesses have withdrawn from their brick-and-mortar locations. Though these vacancies were soon filled by claw machines, the abandoned signs leave a crumb trail chronicling the past’s economic highs and lows. The photographs in The Insidious Claw Machine Coup were taken at the break of dawn, surrounding shops having yet to start the day. The quiet streets are lent a dreamlike atmosphere by the glow of the arcades, real streets turned surreal in their light.

這套作品記錄的是消費熱潮及流行文化所形成的社會地景。夾娃娃機在幾年前在台灣非常流行，是辨識度很高的強勢商品。而且夾娃娃通常都是一種很隨興、嚐鮮式的消費，消費者沒有強烈的品牌意識。所以，原本做為商品及品牌識別的招牌，在這裡就顯得多餘。很多業主不願意投入額外成本去建置招牌，甚至連前一手店家遺留下來的招牌也懶得去拆。於是，我們會看到掛著唱片行，機車行，甚至十字架和神壇的招牌，店裡卻是擺滿夾娃娃機，24小時燈火通明的營業。這種招牌與商品完全不符的景象，形成一種具有強烈衝突感的社會地景。因為虛擬通路盛行及產業變化，許多行業逐漸從實體店面消失。這些閒置空間雖然由夾娃娃店迅速進駐，但遺留的招牌，也隱藏著產業興衰的脈絡。「商業空間魔爪滲透」是在清晨天色微亮的時候拍攝。這時候週遭店家都沒有營業，寧靜的街道因為夾娃娃店的存在而有了一種不太真實的氛圍。明明是個現實的街景，卻有濃濃的超現實感。