Three lines on the Yellow Duck’s face? Hofman: Love seeing the duck blend into Taoyuan’s local scenery

The Land Art Festival, being held in Xinyi Township, Taoyuan until November 10th, has drawn much attention thanks to the high popularity of the Yellow Duck. However, unlike past displays in harbor seascapes, the area where the Yellow Duck is playing in the water this time has a different surrounding landscape, which has drawn criticism from many netizens — especially the power lines crossing the Yellow Duck’s face, which have sparked a lot of negative discussion. Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman stated at the opening ceremony and yesterday’s symposium that he himself is a country kid from a small village in northern Netherlands, so he really likes Taiwan’s rural scenery, and he is especially impressed by Taoyuan’s unique pond landscapes. He also thinks it is very fitting for the Yellow Duck to be displayed in Taoyuan’s countryside. Compared to displays in major harbors, the Duck playing in the water in Xinyi Township, Taoyuan County, appears even more massive, and its yellow color complements the greenery of the pond landscapes and fields. Hofman also emphasized that everyone can find their own most pleasing angle to view the Duck, and adjusting one’s perspective and mindset is a very important life lesson. Therefore, his own creations place great emphasis on how to interact with the environment and coexist with nature.

 

Hofman also said that he likes to draw inspiration for his large-scale installation land art works from various animal shapes, using their huge scale to provoke reflection on the environment, and actively encouraging participation and interaction from locals, highlighting the symbolic meaning behind environmental protection and respect.

 

Regarding environmental protection and respect, many student groups also took part in putting these ideas into practice during this event. Volunteers from schools and organizations such as Qinghua High School, Yuan Ze University, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Xinyi Junior High School, Houhu Village, Shilei Village, Xinyi Library, and the Cultural Affairs Bureau not only helped with guiding visitors but also quietly picked up litter discarded by the public, promoting the meaning of environmentalism through action. They also hope that netizens who visit the Taoyuan County Land Art Festival in the near future to see the Yellow Duck will help keep the event grounds clean.

The Yellow Duck visits Taoyuan, its cute figure blending into the distinctive rural scenery. (Video source / linked from the official website of the Taoyuan Land Art Festival)

 

●  Further Reading:

Taoyuan Yellow Duck Makes Its Debut Tomorrow – Complete Traffic Guide

http://goo.gl/VoKz0k