NATIONAL CENTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND IMAGES-Past Exhibitions

Emerging Taiwanese Cultural Landscape attempts to decipher the “Taiwanese cultural landscape” as seen in the eyes of local Taiwanese photographers of different generations from the collections of the National Center of Photography and Images and the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. I also hope to pile up these image slices of Taiwan from different times and locations as considerable references to Taiwan’s cultural fabric, which help us to contemplate on the “Taiwanese culture” that has always existed but remains abstract and ambiguous. That is, this exhibition is in fact proposing a reflection on the true meaning of the land and its people: what is “our land of Taiwan”? Who are “our people of Taiwan”?

Preliminary Study on the “Images of Taiwan” as a Foundation of the “History of Photography in Taiwan”

In order to comb through and present such a “public Taiwan” (the motherland that nurtures us), the curator would like to apologize to the photographers featured in this exhibition. In this exhibition, the creative contexts of these photographers are taking the backseat, as the priority is to highlight the common elements of Taiwan to form a comprehensive thinking. Through combinations of image editing, a so-called “shared creative context of Taiwanese photography” that is more extensive and detailed has been horizontally woven. Due to the long absence of studies related to the history of photography in Taiwan, it is necessary for us to carry out a comprehensive compilation and organization of Taiwanese photography, so as to pave the way for the history of photography in Taiwan that awaits to be written.

Thoughts on Taiwan’s Cultural Context

Another curatorial purpose of this exhibition is to outline the basic structure of the development of Taiwanese culture: the cultural pulses of Taiwanese culture is presented in the process of resistance, conflict, interaction, exchange, and compromise of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples as they faced the visitors and immigrants from elsewhere. Local ethnic groups that were originally here in Taiwan and the colonial hegemonies from elsewhere must learn to achieve “co-existence,” and this co-existence in different periods has given rise to the “local native cultures” of different generations.

The roots of Austronesian indigenous peoples, the stimulation of Dutch and Spanish cultures, the profound continuation of the Chinese culture, and the marks left behind by the Japanese culture’s embracing of modernization, as well as the transplant of contemporary Western culture, and the addition of the cultures of new immigrants — the fusion and presence of all these diverse viewpoints have formed into an important force that continues to drive Taiwan’s culture forward today.

An Attempt to Shape the “Taiwanese Tone” and “Taiwanese Flavor” with Images

Echoing NCPI’s inaugural exhibition, Hold the Mirror up to His Gaze: The Early History of Photography in Taiwan (1869-1949), which focused on the theoretical studies of Taiwan’s photography history, Emerging Taiwanese Cultural Landscape delves into the core of the issue of Taiwan’s subjectivity by combing through visual images. However, due to the modest exhibition space at the Center, the exhibition presents corresponding and parallel displays of “original prints” and “digital presentations,” which is also a challenge and experiment on the format of photographic exhibitions.

Exhibition Themes

The Place
The Place
As Eurasia’s pathway to the Pacific Ocean, Taiwan and the outlying islands, in addition to being homes of the indigenous peoples, served various roles in different times: during the Age of Discovery several centuries ago, Taiwan was a logistics hub for different maritime powers as they expanded global trades. Foreigners, such as the Dutch and the Spanish, constructed strongholds at Fenggui in Penghu, Anping in Tainan, and Heping Island in Keelung. Taiwan also became a logistic base of pirates, as well as a trade hub where maritime powers traded products. Later, Taiwan became the destination for those living in the Southeast coast of China who were searching for a new life, the base of the Southern Expansion of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere during the Japanese Colonial Period, the springboard of KMT Government’s counterattack after retreating to Taiwan, and a vital part of the Indo-Pacific Strategic Partnership today. Regardless of mountains, hills, wetlands, rivers, drylands, or oceans, the tiny island of Taiwan possesses the richest natural ecosystem. For centuries, we, who come from different backgrounds, have left behind in these different environments traces of our hard work and existence as well as different styles of manmade architectures, preserving for us our own cultural fabrics.
The Everyday
The Everyday
The “Taiwanese people” consists of the indigenous peoples and many different groups of later immigrants. These new and old immigrants from different periods have diversified Taiwan’s demographics. Also, as Taiwan evolved from a temporary stop or haven into the base of expansion or counterattack chosen by different nations, centuries of history has brought these people of different backgrounds onto the same small island. The courses through which they strived to settle on this island would naturally be bumpy and full of challenges. Despite being different ethnic groups from different backgrounds, “we the public” on this land all identify with the historical context constructed by the long flow of time and unpredicted incidents, and slowly begin to share similar experiences of growing up, forming our different yet similar backgrounds. From childhood, youth, to family, from daily rural life to people in all professions, and from rural villages to urban areas, we face examinations, games, sports, and entertainments together; whether it is hand-puppetry or baseball, we enjoy and laugh together, and grow up together.
Rituals
Rituals
Different ethnic groups of Taiwan naturally have their own attitudes toward life. The cycle of four seasons repeats year after year, and the 24 solar terms are the wisdom of our ancestors. Different religious cultures also organize different rituals at different times. Through rituals, people recognize the meaning of life. Regardless of cutting wood and building ship, or weddings, funerals, festivals, and celebrations, as well as temple festivals and religious rituals, the wheel of time continues to roll forward. Even though the urban-rural gap has brought about different lifestyles, we can see in the rituals of different ethnic groups that take place repeatedly the passing down of cultural heritages; there are unchanging principles and insistences, as well as compromises made in the face of time.
Events
Events
Over the past century, we have experienced the Japanese Colonial Period, the Pacific War, the White Terror during the authoritarian era, and the birth of democracy through street movements after the lifting of martial law. We have also destroyed our natural environment in pursuit of economic development, and constantly faced the threats of typhoons, floods, and earthquakes, as well as pandemics and viruses. We encounter these events; we respond to them. We have failed, but we have also learned to reflect on our failures.