We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Yi Chin Hsieh. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Yi Chin below.

Alright, Yi Chin thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I do wonder what it would be like if I worked in the tech, or in finance industries sometimes. But don’t get me wrong, overall I am very happy and excited to work as a creative in the art world. It feels great to work with people that are creative, sensitive, full of imagination, and have a lot of care about this world. There are a lot of different challenges of course, just like all other jobs. The biggest obstacle in the art field is that it is a generally low-pay industry, And this is worldwide, not just in the US. The starting salary of a finance major might be the salary for someone in the arts with ten years or more working experience, probably with a Ph.D. Most of the artists I know, including myself, works freelance and have several side jobs/gigs/projects at once to keep our life in balance. There are pros and cons, and I do believe we are capable to find a good spot where we can stand steady in between our creative works and life.

Yi Chin, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I grew up in Taiwan and moved to the US about five years ago. My journey working in the art industry has been incredible and full of adventures! I’ve worked in non-profit organizations, museums, artists residencies, commercial galleries, and other private collections.

Being a curator from a visual design background, I am interested in installation, digital art, and ways of exhibitions. I like to work with creatives that are open to new and experimental ways of exhibitions and presentations, and I also love collaborating with artists to develop projects together. My curatorial practice explores collaboration and artistic practice with artists. My research interests have always been in curatorial methods under the discussion of exhibition forms, collectiveness, and contemporary visual culture in response to the current time. Collaboration with others is essential to my process of growing new ideas. By bringing artworks together or creating them with artists, I can expand and elaborate on the concepts: artists and the curator become a collective and co-producers of the projects. My practice wish to communicate the idea of blurring the line between the artist-as-curator and the curator-as-artist. I’ve realized several projects in Miami and plan to expand and stretch my curatorial practice.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

I believe we’re beginning a new world with new rules in art, commerce, and how we experience life. NFTs provide a great starting point to discuss the possibility of a new art world, but right now, we’re still at an exploring stage for an explosive amount of information. NFTs can be an excellent tool for artists and even institutions once the digital currency is more accessible in the art field, not just within tech bros. The art world, however, tends to catch up slowly with technology. We need more time to adjust and adapt to the new way of experiencing and trading art.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

It’s a two-way thing, and artists must support their communities to have a healthy and creative ecosystem. The core, I believe, is to care. Being creative is not just being in the studio making art or being in front of the computer doing research. It is about getting to know the people, understanding what’s happening in our country, and the world, caring for different communities and giving back when we are available, no matter in what ways.

Contact Info:

• Website: yichinhsieh.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ychsiehproject/

Image Credits
Courtesy of Yi Chin Hsieh