Written/Compiled and reported by Liu Jiawen
With a bit of creativity, waste materials can take on a new life too！ The first-ever Taichung Environmental Art Festival will be held from January 7 (Saturday) to January 31 (Tuesday) at Baolin Park. The event includes an eco-themed fashion show, fun challenge games, and a parent-child DIY sand painting competition. On-site, there will also be 29 artworks recreated from recycled waste by 16 renowned sculptors, among which the most spectacular is the 430-centimeter-tall “Quartet of Big Chairs,” made from scrap metal sheets, iron pipes, fan blades, and PET bottles. This piece will become a new landmark of Baolin Park.
The first Taichung Environmental Art Festival will open on January 7 (Saturday), featuring 29 artworks made from recycled waste. (Photo provided by Taichung City Government Environmental Protection Bureau)
The artwork “Quartet of Big Chairs” was originally composed of 60 small chairs stacked to form a two-story-high structure. After years of exposure to wind and rain, it had turned into waste itself. It was then dismantled by four artists—Huang Chao-hu, Chung Chun-hsiung, and others—and re-created using new waste materials into a large-scale art installation consisting of four separate pieces: “Chair in Bloom” resembles a towering floral chair; “Dusky Crow ‘Old Tree’” laments the dialogue between an old tree and birds; “Mom’s So Busy!” depicts the intimate relationship between a mother and kitchen utensils; and “Too Full” reminds people not to discard bottles and cans carelessly, as it harms marine ecosystems.
The artwork “Chair in Bloom” stands 400 centimeters tall, resembling a towering floral chair. (Photo provided by Taichung City Government Environmental Protection Bureau)
Additionally, to promote environmental education among families, a parent-child DIY sand painting and pencil holder creation competition has been organized, with 200 spots available. Interested participants can download the registration form from the Baolin Park page of the Environmental Protection Bureau (recycle.epb.taichung.gov.tw/relove). The event site will also feature environmental awareness booths where attendees can take part in fun challenge games. Upon collecting enough stamps, they can exchange them for souvenirs and enter a lucky draw.