An artwork that will disappear in a year? A two-story “soap” sculpture satirizes eternity

▲ The “Duke of Cumberland on Horseback” will be exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art for a whole year. This 3-meter-tall statue is made entirely of soap. (Photo / Provided by the Museum of Contemporary Art)

Reporter Zhou Youzheng / Comprehensive report

This sculpture might vanish in a year！ In front of the plaza of Taipei Museum of Contemporary Art stands a 3-meter-tall “Duke on Horseback” statue, entirely crafted from soap and displayed outdoors in all weather conditions for a full year. The museum states that during the one-year exhibition period, the public can witness the statue’s continual transformation—“the Duke’s hands and feet may disappear, and it might even vanish completely in the end！”

The over two-story-tall “Duke of Cumberland on Horseback” exhibition will be on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art for a full year starting today. The museum noted that as the sculpture will be placed outdoors for a year, it will be exposed to wind and sun, and the work is bound to erode. South Korean artist Shin Meekyung, the creator, said that the nature of the soap material means it will change significantly over time. She added that the piece is not only a reflection on historical monuments but also comments on the concept of enduring value.

▲ “Duke of Cumberland on Horseback” Taipei exhibition (left); the statue during winter in London when it experienced heavy snow (right). (Photo / FromWritten in Soap: A Plinth Project Facebook))

The statue depicts the 18th-century British Duke of Cumberland. The original sculpture was actually erected in London’s Cavendish Square as early as 1770 but was removed in 1868 due to political reasons. Artist Shin Meekyung incorporated this historical background into her work.

Before being exhibited in Taiwan as part of the “History Rewritten in Soap: A Transnational Exhibition Project,” the sculpture was displayed in London and Seoul, where it suffered different types of damage—but did not completely disappear. The Museum of Contemporary Art stated that this might be the first time an exhibit “disappears” during its showing in Taiwan.

The artist, Shin Meekyung, has also participated in many environmental art projects. As part of the “Rewriting Monuments” series, she used soap as the medium to create the “Duke on Horseback” sculpture. While the base was made using traditional materials, the horse and rider were later “carved away” from these blocks, eventually forming the final pieces. The artist hopes the public will visit regularly to observe whether the sculpture is still “standing.”