With highly-developed artistic flair, Wang Jun-jieh is energetic, ambitious and innovative. (photo by Chuang Kung-ju)

Innovative, ambitious, meticulous, a magnet for sponsors-a genius: Taiwan artist Wang Jun-jieh is recognized as all of these.

Around the millennium year, playing the twin roles of artist and entrepreneur, Wang launched a series of cross-disciplinary exploratory projects playing games with the fictions and realities of consumerism. At the peak of his career and artistic creativity, enjoying the abundant resources and unrestrained opportunities that his magical success had brought, he seemed capable of anything he wished.

But in 2002 two sudden tragedies changed his life dramatically. Wang retreated somewhat from public life and began a long journey of exploration into the essence of art and self.

In early summer this year, Project Rrose: Love and Death-an exhibition which "appropriated" a famous work from French artist Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968)-seemed to subtly reveal a sense of sadness, perhaps even anxiety, at Wang's approaching 50th birthday.

We met at the Center for Art and Technology in Taipei National University of the Arts (TNUA) in Guandu, where he works as an assistant professor. In a subterranean level of the university's concert hall, Wang transfers his cellphone calls to a landline so he doesn't lose touch with the world.

Although it's the middle of the summer holiday, Wang is very busy dealing with endless affairs, including preparations for three exhibitions: solo, joint, and curatorial. He is also preparing to take over the position of dean in his department in the coming semester.