In April 2004, Shy Gong was invited to participate in the exhibition "Contemporary Taiwanese Art in the Era of Contention" at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art's of Cornell University. The exhibition focused on the political aftermath and its deconstruction after 1987. Audiences learned of how artworks changed in terms of local production past 1987 after the four-decade-long martial law which dictated how art should be considered in Taiwan was lifted. Ellen Avril, chief curator, describes this phenomenon with the following words, "Contemporary artistic creation in Taiwan draws upon this rich reservoir of experience to deal in compelling ways with Taiwan's distinctive cultural characteristics and history." Shy Gong's politically driven and staged works can survive in a post martial art environment and thus one can say his work is a reflection of this new cultural and artistic freedom. For viewers not familiar with requisites of Taiwanese local and political knowledge, the ability to access and fundamentally comprehend the issues at hand from: the struggle against power and the quest for faith in the new social-cultural economy of post 1987 may be hard to see or find in the work.

By presenting a political response and document through art, Shy Gong continues the lineage of others in Taiwan called Action Artists. The Action Art movement commenced in the 1980s in Taiwan, when the political climate started to relax. This climate enabled local artists, for the first time, to express ideas with more freedom. The resulting activities took form in action performed where the human body, a vulnerable form, was employed and used in conjunction sometimes with props, to explore political and/or artistic concepts delivered for the first time as public performances. The ability to reclaim the body and the public sphere was indeed significant in relationship to more limited conservative practices accepted prior to these activities. The sanctioned art forms of painting, drawing and sculpture were nearly forgotten when Action art became a popular form of artistic delivery after 1987. Again this freedom to express new ideas in Taiwan created an Action Art movement that also presented political protest. Artist Lee Ming-Sheng openly criticised the materialist and consumers trends of Taiwan and its driven economy and the institutionalised art world by exhibiting human waste and cow's blood as sanctified objects; Lin Vaga conducted a public performance where a corpse-less funeral procession was held in Taizhong to mark the actions of buying his the government buying his home at a reduced market price.1 Action artists utilized creative ways to subvert the past oppressive systems ideologies with the hope more radical reform would happen. These artworks were not staged with longevity in mind thus action must be examined in relation to politics and other concepts rather than out of context.

Public performance art presents complex parameters and in Taiwan, these complicated values were utilized to communicate about political issues through the action and participation of its civilians and communities.. Shy Gong's work and ideologies are borne to this era and reflect on this unique Taiwanese political context. Shy Gong's artistic demonstration reflects both the controversy and political dynamics, whether his work is understood by a wider audience is still to be determined. The globalization of art markets is assisting in bringing forth concepts from local geographies to the foreground whether this will solve an omnipresent cultural barrier and further inform how the artworks are to be received is also open. Taiwanese art is graduating from its political roots to the full menu of cultural art production. Similarly Shy Gong's art practice is transforming and now reflective of the more stable Taiwanese market, free of constraints. His video work "Nationless Nationism" may also indicate this pivotal change in attitude. As for the future of Taiwanese art, Shy Gong's early artworks may be seen like Gericault 's work 'The Raft of Medusa' in a museum, when the work is comprehended for its virtuoso of skill and for its delivery. A commentary of its day, risking all to reflect on the emergence of new social values and needs.