New Public Art "Weaving Paths" at Taroko Station: Knitting Old Sweaters into the Road Home

▲ Old sweaters, one by one, are transformed back into loops of yarn. Under the skillful hands of artist Lin Kuei-wen and weavers from various ethnic groups, they will soon become the new public artwork "Weaving Paths," to be displayed at Xincheng Railway Station. (Photo / Courtesy ofthe "Weaving Paths" fan page)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

"Wake up those sweaters that have been sleeping in the closet for years and give them a new life!"The new Xincheng (Taroko) Stationwill feature the public art piece "Weaving Paths,"designed by Lin Kuei-wen, a Sediq artist from Hualien. She explained that by taking apart old sweaters and re-knitting the yarn, she uses art to express the journey home and memories of one's hometown through thread.

The Railway Reconstruction Bureau is currently renovating railway stations along the East Coast and Hualien-Taitung Line. Once the renovation of Xincheng Station is complete, public art will also be installed there. Artist Lin Kuei-wen, skilled in knitting and using textile art to convey various forms of expression, conceived the idea of weaving a "Textile Railway." This involves taking apart forgotten sweaters from closets, returning them to yarn balls, and then re-knitting them into artistic works. On the 12th, local residents even gathered to host a “Sweater-Unraveling Party,” allowing the community to become part of this artistic creation.

Lin Kuei-wen also invited 30 “weavers” from the Taroko, Sediq, and Atayal tribes, who used their skilled hands to re-knit threads filled with various memories, weaving their recollections of their hometown and the road back home. Once the artwork "Weaving Paths" is completed at Xincheng Station, it will be displayed inside the station, allowing the many travelers passing through to see the piece and remember the feelings and memories of their own hometowns.