Artistic Craftsmanship from Taitung
Setting out from Taitung once again, we carry with us the cultural arts and skills passed down by the Austronesian ancestors of this land. As we move forward along the ocean's path, we aim to share the beauty and craftsmanship, forged by the people and the land, with other islands once more.
從臺東再次出發，帶著南島語族先民留給這塊土地的文化藝術與技術，重新在海洋這條道路上前行，將人群與土地淬鍊出的美感與技術，再次與其他島嶼交換。
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Curatorial Concept
展覽介紹
The ocean is the pathway to the islands
In the vast Pacific Ocean, green islands—big or small, scattered far or near—emerge from the blue sea. For mainland cultures, the sea represents a source of fear and the boundary of land. However, for the Austronesian peoples, the sea is a path to other islands, a way to obtain vital resources for survival, and a means to connect different lands. The Pacific Ocean and its islands are one and the same, and when viewed through the lens of the stars, it covers two-thirds of the Earth's surface.
When the resources of the islands could no longer support a growing population, the ancestors of the Austronesian peoples took the wisdom of their forebears, their native species, and their relatives with them. Guided by the stars, they searched for new lands on the ocean's path where they could live. If they encountered other groups on the islands, they might continue their journey by exchanging resources or leave their genes to continue their lineage. Whether it was culture, technology, or flora and fauna, their journey continued south and east from eastern Taiwan. For the Austronesian peoples, the ocean is the pathway to the islands, with the sea serving as a route to survival resources and a means to spread their sea culture.
From Taitung, we will carry forward the culture, art, and technology inherited from our ancestors., using materials from the land that our ancestors also utilized—such as Boehmeria, paper mulberry, glass sand, and wood. By incorporating these materials into crafts that blend contemporary aesthetics with traditional techniques, we continue our journey on the ocean's path, exchanging the hardened aesthetics and technologies shaped by our people and land with other islands.
--Li-Chin Du ｜Project consultant
島嶼是陸，海是路
廣袤的太平洋上，或遠或近、或大或小，星羅密佈的綠色島嶼灑落在藍色的海面上。對大陸文化來說，海是恐懼的來源，是陸地的盡頭，但是對南島語族來說，海是一條通往其他島嶼的路，是獲取生存資源寶藏，從一塊陸地連接到另一塊陸地的道路，太平洋及其中的島嶼是一體的，從星星的眼睛俯瞰，它佔了地球三分之二的面積。
南島語族的先民在島嶼資源無法支持飽和的人口後，便帶著祖先的智慧、原鄉的物種與親族，靠著星星的指引，在海洋的道路上尋找下一個可以生活的陸地，若島嶼上已經有了其他的人群，可能透過交換資源繼續往前行，也可能留下繁衍的基因。無論是文化、技術或動植物，一路就從台灣東部向南向東航行下去。對於南島語族來說「島嶼是陸，海是路」海洋是通往生存資源的道路、也是傳播海洋文化的道路。
我們將從重台東再次出發，帶著南島語族先民留給這塊土地的文化藝術與技術，藉著先民也使用過，來自土地的素材，無論是苧麻、構樹、玻璃砂或是木材….等等，製作成與當代生活美學融合的工藝作品，重新在海洋這條道路上前行，將人群與土地淬鍊出的美感與技術，再次與其他島嶼交換。
---杜麗琴/專案顧問