Regenerated Art Wetland Landscaping – International Large-Scale Sculptures, Latest Must-Photograph Spots

Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Home Jun(e), compiled and reported    Image source / Chenglong Wetland International Environmental Art Project

Originally farmland, Chenglong Wetland has been waterlogged for 20 years after being hit by a typhoon, rendering it uncultivable. Over time through environmental succession, it has gradually transformed into a saline marsh, covering an area of 171 hectares, mainly consisting of grass marshes, ponds, fish ponds, ditches, and some fallow farmland. The 2017 Chenglong Wetland International Environmental Art Festival featured artists from various nationalities residing in the village to create artworks. This year’s theme, “Love Action. Love Change,” conveys how to adapt to nature’s ways and live in harmony with it. It invites residents to reflect and act together in rebuilding and adapting to a better environment.

This year’s art competition received proposals from 180 artists across 55 countries. American curator Aja Ireland selected two Taiwanese artists and four international artists, making a total of seven art creations. The artworks are titled “Habitat No. 4 – Cradle,” “Meander,” “Microclimate Lifeline,” “Live~Action,” “Alongside,” “Delicate Balance,” and “Regeneration.” The environmental art pieces use naturally obtainable, biodegradable materials such as oyster shells, driftwood, reeds, bamboo, soil, and sand, emphasizing the natural cycle of life: birth, growth, death, and rebirth. They call on everyone to pay attention to the uniqueness of Chenglong Village and its wetland environment, as well as related environmental issues.

Now in its eighth edition, the festival has become a well-known environmental art event in Taiwan. The most special feature of this year’s festival is that villagers chose to recreate a piece titled “Regeneration” at the site of the 2015 artwork “Water Core” by German artist Roger. It symbolizes a seed inside a fruit core sprouting and taking root in the wetland, advancing forward with beautiful lines in the light and shadow, with seeds half-buried in the earth forming a heart shape — expressing love for the land and a sense of belonging to the homeland.