New Gadgets Tell Old Stories: Pingtung Land Art Festival Brings Veterans’ Village Memories to Life in Alleys
▲ A mobile phone projection box designed for the Pingtung Land Art Festival.
Reported and photographed by Yu Jiayun / Pingtung
Through the gradual revitalization and transformation of veterans’ villages, Taiwan’s once old, weathered, and lifeless military dependents' villages are taking on new looks. Among them, Shengli New Village in Pingtung has injected youthful energy over the past five years of renovation, presenting a renewed image that blends history and culture. This year, the Pingtung City Government held its first-ever land art festival, combining art, veterans’ villages, and alleyways to tell “old stories” with “new gadgets,” offering Taiwanese people a different perspective on Pingtung.
▲ The Pingtung Land Art Festival opens on October 1.
Veterans’ villages represent the past, while art represents the present and future. Through the hands of artists, these two seemingly unrelated elements are connected, resulting in a series of works themed around the concept of “jet lag adjustment.” The exhibition pieces reflect issues related to the history, culture, or environment of veterans’ villages, showcasing the charm of bygone eras through innovative artistic approaches. They bring together the past, present, and future in the same space and time, encapsulated within these corners of the veterans’ villages.
▲ Works rich in layers exhibit a strong sense of nostalgia.
This exhibition features 10 artworks, located at the General’s House, Military Song Museum, Shengli Road Post Office, and Pingtung Youth Innovation Hub. Most of the exhibits are large-scale installations closely tied to the veterans’ villages. Ren Da-xian, skilled in line sculpture, uses iron rods to create furniture and house-shaped installations. Though situated in alleyways, they give the illusion of being inside an old house. Ceramic artist Li Guo-wei uses ceramic doorplates to visualize Taiwan’s unique veterans’ village culture, evoking the essence of the “home” of memories.
▲ Creating a three-dimensional spatial feel with iron rod sculptures.
▲ A highly retro ceramic doorplate.
Remember the scenes from the veterans’ village era, when children roamed from house to house and adults chatted in the courtyards? Architectural artist Chen Guan-hong stacked Taiwan’s shared memory of “red stools” into a tower, symbolizing the close bonds among residents. The Youyong Team used clothes-drying poles to form curved spaces, evoking the early veterans’ village term “bamboo fence,” re-packaging elements of bygone times in artistic form and reintegrating them into daily life.
▲ Red plastic stools symbolize joy and togetherness.
▲ Clothes-drying poles forming a bamboo fence.
Pingtung Land Art Festival
Date: October 1, 2017 – February 28, 2018
Location: Shengli New Village, Pingtung City
Share
This article is published by HowToTrip. Sharing and reposting are welcome — please credit the source.
Article URL: https://www.howtotrip.net/views-1061
Related Articles
- Shaoxing's "Grandpa Gourd" hangs the gourds back up: "If there are too many people, we'll interact less — just take a quick look from afar"
- Chinese authorities announce "reciprocal adjustment" to Japan visa fees — single-entry visa jumps from 2,250 to 16,750 yen!
- 旅客携带的“保健石”核辐射超标千倍，同机人员或遭殃！海关提醒！
- 深圳机场深夜通报！出现不明升空物，航班大面积延误！
- “拆盒洗了才说要钱！”高铁200克葡萄卖60元，12306回应！
- 买不了机票？出境被拒？登机被拦？一大波中国游客莫名成了“失信人”
- 不利天气和经济波动影响哥伦比亚咖啡市场
- 海边浴场回应冲脚淡水收费2元/30秒：明码标价！
- 舱门没关好就起飞？机翼出现问题？多个航班途中紧急折返！
- 感受大自然的馈赠！盘点世界十大唯美海岸线