TAIWAN
INTRODUCTION
In 2020, many schools have cancelled field trips due to concerns over COVID-19. Nevertheless, partnership between the National Museum of Marine Science & Technology and Keelung Arts and Humanities Education Advisory Group has brought these backpacks to multiple campuses, including National Keelung Senior High School, National Keelung Girls’ Senior High School, Ding-Nei Junior High School, Chung-Cheng Junior High School, Cheng-Bin Elementary School, Shen-Mei Elementary School and Dong-Guang Elementary School, which shortens the distance between students of different ages and artworks from international artists.
Aided by course resources and learning environment at school, the initiative helps students think about how natural disasters can impact their life. During the semester, participating artists visit schools to share their views on related issues, interact with students, and create ocean-themed backpack art unique to Taiwan. The exhibition features not only previous work created overseas, but backpack artworks by four groups of Taiwan-based artists and local students which center around “Environment”, ”Education”, “Social Relationships” as well as “Taiwan & Southern East Asia” respectively. Through the lens of contemporary art, it is an attempt to respond to issues on ocean and sustainability that are pertinent to humanity.
As a participatory art project, Field Trip Project Asia Taiwan will end its years-long journey overseas in 2021 with an exhibition in Japan, where it all began. We hope the students’ backpacks could serve as an issue carrier that explores relations among humans, the ocean and nature and opens discussions over various issues, at the same time fostering more conversations and engagements through creative exchanges and sharing.
ABOUT THE HOSTING ORGANIZATION:
Bamboo Curtain Studio, Taiwan
Bamboo Curtain Studio (BCS) is a non-profit organization in Taiwan founded in 1995. BCS aims to promote cross-cultural exchanges by providing a meeting point for visitors from national and international art related fields, for short visits or specific projects.The goal of BCS is to encourage cross-cultural exchanges, national and international, by providing a platform that stimulates new ideas and possibilities. BCS welcomes artist/curator/researcher/ creative workers from around the world for a residency at BCS. The Studio also aims to create an environment that lifts barriers by providing quality spaces, facilities, and services for on-site production and research. In addition, BCS works closely with local communities to bring awareness about the environment; the project of Art as Environment – A Cultural Action at the Plum Tree Creek has been awarded and recognized nationally and internationally.
Website: http://bambooculture.com/en
NEWLY JOINED ARTISTS
Wei-Lun, Chang (Taiwan, ART PETRI DISH)
Juwon, Park (Korea, ART PETRI DISH)
Fay, Yang (Taiwan, NO!W Across Lab)
Tzu-Fen Lin (Taiwan, NO!W Across Lab)
Yi-Pei, Lee (Taiwan)
Hsin-Yen, Wei (Taiwan)
EXHIBITIONS AND ACTIVITIES
Precursor Exhibition
National Keelung Senior High School (2020/03/11-07/10)
National Keelung Girls’ Senior High School (2020/03/18-07/14)
Ding-Nei Junior High School (2020/03/16-07/14)
Chung-Cheng Junior High School (2020/03/23-07/14)
Cheng-Bin Elementary School (2020/03/25-07/14)
Shen-Mei Elementary School (2020/03/30-07/10)
Dong-Guang Elementary School (2020/03/30-07/14)
Main Exhibition
Opening: 2020/09/18
Location: National Museum of Marine Science and Technology
Exhibition Date: 2020/09/18-2020/11/29
Theme: Life on an island: N sustainable ways of living
Taiwan is an island, a beautiful whale sleeping soundly off the Pacific coast, with its future possibilities in our hands.
In ancient times, life forms moved from the sea to the land. Our ancestors used to rely heavily on the turquoise ocean for their livelihoods, navigating through island chains while conducting trade. Today, however, people living on the back of the island whale might have forgotten how to reconnect with the ocean. How do we—the island’s residents—view our way of living on the island? And could such lifestyle helps us live in sustainable harmony with the environment? When the islanders start to embrace the ocean again, will any differences be made for various life forms on earth?
To some extent, global warming is equivalent to ocean warming. In the vast ocean exists large numbers of intricate and complex ecosystems, which collectively weave into an interdependent web of marine life. The level of biodiversity also represents the web’s resilience to change. Rising temperatures and increasing acidification of the ocean, which covers 70% of the Earth’s surface, have altered circulation of ocean currents as well as species distributions. Many subtle yet clear changes are taking place quietly, and human activities are—directly or indirectly—eating away Nature’s capacity to repair itself.
Before grasping the impact of human activities on the enormous ecological web, we have already depleted marine resources with ever advancing technology. Many deep-sea fishes have long disappeared without being fully studied by marine ecologists. In addition to satisfying human wants and needs through fishing and exploring, a wide range of human behavior also plays a role in ocean sustainability. It then begs the question: what kind of Taiwan will we leave for those who come after us? Will future generations still have access to a vibrant ocean teeming with life? Finding a way to appreciate and reconnect with the oceanic cultural heritage is perhaps an issue for all of us living on the island for generations.
Activities: Art Workshop in the schools
2020/06/16 10AM-12AM Hsin-Yen, Wei @ Ding-Nei Junior High School
2020/06/18 09AM-12AM Yi-Pei,Lee @ Chung-Cheng Junior High School
2020/06/18 13AM-15AM NO!W Across Lab @ Cheng-Bin Elementary School
2020/06/22 13AM-16AM ART PETRI DISH @ National Keelung Senior High School