Regenerated Art Wetland Landscapes – Must-Photograph Latest International Large-Scale Sculptures

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

Originally farmland, Chenglong Wetland suffered from typhoon damage and remained waterlogged for 20 years, becoming uncultivable. Over time through ecological succession, it gradually turned into a saline marsh, covering an area of 171 hectares, mainly composed of grasslands, ponds, fish habitats, ditches, and some fallow farmland. The 2017 Chenglong Wetland International Environmental Art Festival invited artists from various nationalities to reside and create art. This year’s theme is “Love in Action, Love in Change,” conveying how to adapt to nature’s ways and live harmoniously with it. It invites local residents to reflect and take action together to rebuild and adapt a better environment.

This year’s art competition received proposals from 180 artists across 55 countries. American curator Aijian selected two Taiwanese artists and four international artists, resulting in seven art creations. The artworks are titled “Habitat No. 4 - Cradle,” “Meander,” “Microclimate Lifeline,” “Live~Move,” “Companion,” “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 aspect 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, symbolizing a seed within a fruit core sprouting and taking root in the wetland. Moving forward through light and shadow to form beautiful lines, the half-buried seed forms a heart shape, expressing love for the land and a sense of belonging to the homeland.