Creative Environment - a guide to art and sustainability initiatives in Taiwan

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Photo Credit: RE-THINK

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CONTENT Content 1 Introduction 1.1 Foreword 1.2 Methodology 1.3 Introduction to Taiwan

5 8 10 12 13

2 Taiwan Arts Scene 2.1 Development of Art Spaces and Audiences 2.2 Art and Activism 2.3 Funding Landscape

22 24 28 31

3 Terminology 3.1 What We Mean by Sustainability

34 36

4 Sustainability Trends 4.1 ‘Creative Parks’ 4.2 Indigenous Arts and Cultures 4.3 Social Design 4.4 Community Engagement 4.5 The U-turn

38 40 41 43 46 48

5. Concrete Recommendations 5.1 More Research and Less Focus on Direct Outcomes 5.2 Developing Private Funding Streams 5.3 Building Cultural Bridges in Southeast Asia 5.4 Interdisciplinary Collaboration 5.5 Careful Urban Planning

50 52 54 56 64 66

6 Overview of selected organisations 6.1 Introduction to the Overview 6.2 Selected Initiatives

68 70 71

7 References

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Creative Environment – a guide to art and sustainability initiatives in Taiwan 1st Edition, October 2017 All rights reserved © Researcher and author Yasmine OSTENDORF Proofreading Sholeh JOHNSTON Team at Bamboo Curtain Studio Margaret SHIU, Catherine LEE, Iris HUNG Graphic Design Tze-Ning HONG With the support of: Bamboo Curtain Studio (BCS) is an arts organization in New Taipei City that encourages crosscultural exchange. By providing a site for national and international art practitioners to meet and conduct specific projects, BCS aims to not only facilitate the development of the arts in Taiwan, but also discover and promote emerging talents worldwide. It endeavors to generate transnational dialogues by bridging together individuals, organisations and sites, while offering a supportive environment with needed space and facilities for creatives to experiment with new ideas and launch new initiatives. BCS is a member of The Green Art Lab Alliance and Res Artis; the initiator of Intra Asia Network for AIR & Artists’ Mobility; a regional representative of International Network of Culture Diversity and Arts Network Asia; and a country representative for World Culture Forum Asia-Pacific.

NCAF 1 (National Culture and Arts Foundation) offers grants to artists and cultural organizations and connects artists with businesses in Taiwan. It receives funding from the Taiwanese government, and supports projects that are engaged with society and the environment. The Foundation considers art as a medium to express ideas and concepts, and therefore values the importance of collaboration between artists and communities. Artists’ involvement assists communities to recognise their own unique cultures and identify their collective issues. Such awareness provides an important reference for policy making and resource distribution, allowing the government to understand the condition of its districts and people.

The Mondriaan Fund is a publicly financed fund for the visual arts and cultural heritage based in the Netherlands. It supports innovative projects and programs conducted by visual artists, intermediaries (curators and critics), museums, and other heritage organizations, art institutions, archives, galleries, and commissioning parties. The Mondriaan Fund supported the researcher with a 'Talentdevelopment in an international context grant'.

1 http://www.ncafroc.org.tw/en/default.aspx

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Photo Credit: Bamboo Curtain Studio This publication is a spin-off to the series Creative Responses to Sustainability, commissioned since 2015 by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF). The guides published so far have mapped cultural initiatives engaging with social and environmental issues in Singapore (2015), Korea (2016) and Indonesia (2017). 2 In 2017 a similar guide was published for Berlin, also providing an insight into the world of art and sustainability. This was the first guide that focused on a city, made in collaboration with a scientific institution, the Ecologic Institute.

All four green guides have been prepared by Yasmine OSTENDORF and the Green Art Lab Alliance (GALA). GALA is a network of 30 cultural organisations across Europe and Asia committed to understanding and reducing their own carbon footprint as well as exploring artistic engagement on the topic of environmental sustainability.3

2 Singapore Guide: http://culture360.asef.org/asef-news/creative-responses-to-sustainability-singapore-guide-launched/ Korea Guide: http://culture360.asef.org/asef-news/creative-responses-to-sustainability-korea-guide-launched/ Indonesia Guide: http://culture360.asef.org/asef-news/creative-responses-sustainability-indonesia-guide-launched/ 3 The partners include TransArtists/DutchCulture (NL), Julie’s Bicycle (GB), Cape Farewell (GB), Jan Van Eyck Academy (NL), Art Motile (ES), GEO-air (GE), Swedish Exhibition Agency (SE) Pollinaria (IT), On the Move (BE), Translocal (HU), Museum of Transitory Art (SI), CCA Ujazdowski Castle (PL), Goethe Institute Prague (CZ), Tipping Point (GB), Creative Carbon Scotland (GB), Glasgow Arts (GB), Asia Europe Foundation (SG) and Green Art Lab Alliance ASIA: Bamboo Curtain Studio (TW), British Council SE Asia, Make a Difference (HK), Common Room (ID) Listen to the City (KR), Youth for a livable Cebu (PH), Concerned artists of the Philippines (PH), BACC (TH), Big Trees (TH), ARCUS (JP) BRACK (SG) and Kontak! (MY)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Photo Credit: Guandu International Nature Art Festival

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Introduction

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1.1 1.2 1.3

Foreword Methodology Introduction to Taiwan

1.1

Foreword

Our crashed economies, fossil fuel-reliant modes of consumption, deteriorating natural environments and changing climate are just a few phenomena that reflect the urgency with which we need to review our systems and societal structures. Moving away from these preexisting systems is a complex and daring operation that requires out-of-the-box thinking, imagination, vision, and creativity. This research investigates the contribution of artists and art practitioners to building and imagining these new and improved systems and structures in Taiwan.

Creative Environment – a guide to art and sustainability initiatives in Taiwan focuses on artists as a driving force for sustainable practices. It unpacks how the arts and culture can be effective tools to inspire new ideas and change social norms, and how artists, often pioneers and activists in their own right, play a crucial role in supporting the movement towards sustainability, utilizing their unique ways to notice, interpret and respond. They are able to address issues through “freer” forms of expression and may therefore have the “response-ability” necessary to react to issues at hand. The word “response-ability” is used here deliberately, as suggested by philosopher Emmanuel LEVINAS,1 and refers to having a unique and creative ability to respond to something—the faculty that makes up the essence of a reasonable being.

The creative sector is receiving increasing recognition for its contribution to shaping societies across the globe. We have realised that climate change is, in large part, a cultural problem affected significantly by our lifestyle and consumer behaviors. Even though the manifestation of problems in our environment appear to be the loss of biodiversity, the collapse of ecosystems, and climate change, it is due to human behaviours (including selfishness, greed, and apathy) that these problems have exponentially grown. We need a cultural and spiritual transformation. The creative and cultural approach to bringing awareness to climate change speaks to people in a more heartfelt, human, engaging, critical, and fun way, bridging the divide between environmental damage, damaging human cultures and the emotional experience in between.

The creative sector’s engagement with society is complementary to the involvement of science, business, and industry. Many countries see technological innovation as the answer to develop societies. More and more artists, however, are moving in the exact opposite direction, focusing on projects related to craft, gardens and communities, believing social, cultural, human and low-tech solutions might last longer and address the root causes of systemic challenges more effectively, than technical ones.

Meanwhile, economic growth in Asia – particularly in China – is transforming cities, lives, and landscapes. Asia has an opportunity to drive change –the ways that growing economies respond to rapid industrialization and urbanization determine the likelihood of devastation 1 LEVINAS, Emmanuel. Totality and Infinity. Duquesne University Press, Pittsburgh. 1961

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such as soil and water contamination, disruption to natural habitats, biodiversity loss, a rise in endangered species, and greenhouse gas emissions. This economic growth presents opportunities for science and renewable energy industries to extend their research and secure future markets.

Climate change and environmental disruptions do not acknowledge borders – they are global and systemic by nature. How do we, as nations, deal with problems that extend beyond borders? To instigate real change, collaboration is key. This research aims to build cultural bridges between Asia and Europe based on the common grounds of arts and sustainability.

Bamboo Curtain Studio in Taiwan and resident researcher Yasmine OSTENDORF founded the Green Art Lab Alliance Asia (GALA Asia), composed of twelve creative agencies across eight Asian countries,2 in December 2015. It was an expansion of GALA Europe, the network of twenty cultural organizations in Europe that are active advocates for sustainability through creative measures. The alliance enables participating organizations to exchange knowledge, initiate conversations, support each other, and access appropriate resources such as relevant resources and funding guides in different countries.

This guide is one of those resources, documenting the key players and issues related to sustainability and the arts in Taiwan. It aims to encourage more international and cultural collaborations focused on sustainability, and seeks to inspire future projects with a list of successful examples across a variety of practices.

2 　GALA Asia is the sister network of GALA Europe, an alliance of 20 cultural organizations in Europe engaging with environmental issues: www.greenartlaballiance.eu.

This research aims to produce: 1. An analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the Taiwanese arts scene based on over 50 interviews with artists, curators, cultural policy makers, and academics in Taiwan.

2. A set of concrete recommendations to effectively shape a more creative and sustainable society in Taiwan.

3. An overview of fifteen pioneering and influential cultural initiatives engaging with social and environmental issues in Taiwan.

The objectives of this research are: 1. To strengthen international cultural networks among socially- and environmentally-engaged organizations, thereby stimulating cross-border and interdisciplinary knowledge exchange on topics of sustainability.

2. To provide national and international art practitioners an overview of potential partners in Taiwan, and to put Taiwan on the map for cultural and environmental travelers and professionals.

3. To create more opportunities for collaboration among artists and cultural organizations interested in practicing social and environmental responsibility, ultimately pushing this movement forward.

1.2

Methodology

Who is this for?

Research methodology

This guide is for policymakers, artists, arts managers, curators, travelers, activists, cultural workers, and those who are interested in livable cities as well as creative and sustainable societies. It is a starting point for locating potential collaborators in Taiwan, and an introduction to the local cultural field.

T h i s q u a l i t a t i ve re s e a rc h i s b a s e d o n i n - d e p t h interviews with key players in the cultural field. Over fift y inter views and conversations were conducted between November 2015 and June 2016. Socially and environmentally engaged curators, museum directors, policymakers, funders, (arts) educators, and cultural managers all participated in the study, thought many of the interviewees have changed position. The interviewees were at the time identified through local a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l re c o m m e n d a t i o n s a n d by w o rd of mouth. Not all recommended inter viewees were available or could converse in English. This research is by no means exhaustive, rather it is a starting point.

How to read this Guide?

This Guide consists of the following sections: Taiwan Arts Scene | Based on over fifty interviews and conversations with key players in the creative sector, this section provides an overview on challenges in the cultural field.

Glossary | The word “sustainability” means different things in different cultural and geographical contexts. This section investigates the meaning of “sustainability” in Taiwan.

Sustainability Trends | This section identifies recurring themes that emerged from the interviews.

Concrete Recommendations | A set of tips on how to strengthen the creative sector to engage in social and environmental work.

Organization overview | A list of fifteen of the most significant socially and environmentally-engaged initiatives in Taiwan. The selection is not exhaustive.

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1.3

Introduction to Taiwan Taiwan (272 sq. km), a mountainous island off the southeastern coast of China, is officially known as the Republic of China (ROC). It was said to have been given the name Formosa by the Portuguese in the 16th century based on the expression Ilha Formosa, “a beautiful island” in Portuguese, but is now generally referred to as Taiwan. The Tropic of Cancer1 passes through the country, dividing the typhoonand earthquake-prone island into a humid, subtropical north and a hot, tropical south.

The official national language in Taiwan is Mandarin, and over 95% of the population is Han Chinese. Approximately 2.3% of the population is indigenous to the island, and are divided into sixteen recognised groups: The Ami, Atayal, Bunun, Kanakanavu, Paiwan, Puyuma, Rukai, Saisiyat, Saaroa, Sakizaya, Sediq, Thao, Truku, Tsou, and Yami. A large proportion of the indigenous population resides on the East Coast of Taiwan, and the Yami people inhabit Orchid Island, an island off the southeast coast of Taiwan.

With a population nearing 2,400,000 2, Taiwan is amongst the most densely populated countries in the world. It also has a large migrant population from southeastern Asian countries, mainly Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

These migrants often live in segregated 1 The most northerly circle of latitude on the planet at which the sun may appear directly overhead at its culmination.

2 "Total Population-Both Sexes." National Statistics, Republic of China (Taiwan). February 2017. Accessed March & April 2017. http://eng.stat.gov.tw/point.asp?index=9.

Photo Credit: Cheng Tzu Yang In Taiwan East Coast Land Arts Festival

Photo Credit: Cheng Tzu Yang In Taiwan East Coast Land Arts Festival

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conditions, earning a living in low-paid jobs such as construction, residential care, and domestic work.

An inseparable tie exists between Taiwan and its neighbor, People’s Republic of China (PRC), present-day China. The political and military leader, CHIANG Kaishek, is an important player in the modern history of the relationship between Taiwan and China. CHIANG’s nationalist party, the Kuomingtang (KMT), had a major split with the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1927, resulting in the Shanghai Massacre.3 After almost two decades of political instability in China, including the Japanese invasion in 1937, World War II, and a failed attempt by the Americans to negotiate a coalition government in 1946 (known as the Marshall Mission), CPC defeated the nationalist party in 1949. CHIANG’s army and his government, the Republic of China (ROC), retreated from China to Taiwan, where he imposed Martial Law to suppress “suspicious activities.”

Tens of thousands of people, particularly cultural elites and intellectuals, were arrested, executed, or simply “disappeared” in Taiwan under Martial Law. This period is known as the “White Terror.” CHIANG died in 1975, and Martial Law was lifted in 1987. Since the process of democratization began in the late eighties, the investment in culture had been treated as compensation to CHIANG Kai-shek’s “erasure” of cultural history. The budget for cultural activities is, therefore, largely designated for publications and exhibitions documenting the new cultural history of Taiwan.

The evolution of contemporary art in Taiwan is closely related to the formation of national ideologies and distinct political consciousness. During Japanese colonization (1995-1945), many Taiwanese artists embraced the Japanese interpretation of “modernity,” defined by an open and international perspective, which influenced the development of art in Taiwan after World War II. The critical consciousness of Taiwanese artists, however, was not truly awoken until after the defeat of Japan, CHIANG Kai-shek’s retreat to Taiwan, and the subsequent persecution of local intellectuals.

3 The Shanghai Massacre is also known as the ‘April 12 incident.’

Identity Taiwan lost its United Nations membership to China in 1971 and many international diplomatic relationships with Taiwan were reduced. This contributed to a sense of disconnection between the Taiwanese public and the rest of the world, and limited artists’ access to education and career development abroad. Taiwanese artists continued to develop experimental ways of thinking, yet the scale of their practices remained relatively small and relied very much on government funding.

Nevertheless, the influence of different cultures – Japanese, Chinese, indigenous, Western, etc. – have created a mix of traditions, values, and beliefs in Taiwan. This open-mindedness might have contributed to the country’s high international rankings in freedom of press, public education, economic freedom, and human development.1

1 “ 人類發展指數 (HDI) [Human Development Index (HDI)].” National Statistics, Republic of China (Taiwan) (in Chinese). Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, Executive Yuan, R.O.C. 15 September 2014.

CHIEN Hung Huang 黃建宏 Curator, professor Taipei National University of Arts Taiwan is a child born out of an international world. Taiwan used to be an island without leaders or a concept of a government. When Japan colonised Taiwan, they tried to establish a cohesive political system. They introduced the idea of nation state. Some Taiwanese people still claim that our ‘natural father’ is China, but our ‘real father’ is Japan.” The different modes of oppression from outside powers created difficulties in establishing our own identity. Artists are especially sensitive to this.

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HSU Fang-Tze 許芳慈 Curator, writer, historian Most art practitioners in Asian countries are aware of the postinstitutional critique. They know that they are part of the “glocal cultural capital mechanism.” The majority of Taiwanese artists, however, are not aware of this. They are more concerned with whether their work is art or not, rather than positioning themselves as responsible individuals. In other regions, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and even China, you have great artists that are pointing at the violence the art community imposes onto itself; it is self-institutionalised. But here, very few people pay attention to the problem of self-institutionalization; the institutes being geared towards the institutes themselves. Why? It has to do with Taiwan’s identity crisis, a subject forced into our conscience; people are constantly defending Taiwan’s nationhood. But the idea of nation state is a trap […] We have victimised ourselves, lost the issue of common sense, of being human.

Frank Huang 黃偉倫 Artist, Co-founder of Polymer Taiwan’s multiculturalism is partly a strength for the arts; you can find all kinds of styles of work [in the art scene. At the same time, the continuous search for identity is our weakness. Over recent years, people are thinking about identity more and more. Our current president (TSAI Ing-wen) is from a party that leans towards selfdetermination. We are deciding what kind of position we are taking in the world. We have realised that we were taught by the books that KMT1, the nationalist government, chose for us. Those books educated the Taiwanese people at large. Now people are more aware of the different historical perspectives, and are talking about which versions we should adopt.

1 Kuomintang, the former ruling party in Taiwan.

Sunflower Movement The search for identity also gave rise to the Sunflower Movement in 2014. On the evening of 18th March 2014, a group of people, members of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), climbed over the fence of the Legislative Yuan.1 The previous day KMT had attempted to pass the Cross Strait Service Trade Agreement (CSSTA), a treaty that would liberalise trade services between China and Taiwan, without clause-by-clause review. In protest of this Act, civic groups and students occupied Taiwan’s parliament for twenty-four days, and tens of thousands took to the streets to support them. Taiwan elected its new president, TSAI Ing-wen, at the beginning of 2016. TSAI’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has taken a firm stance to curb Taiwan’s reliance on China. She is the first president with Hakka and aboriginal heritage, and the first female elected to office. TSAI and DPP won a double majority in the presidential and legislative elections.

HONG Tze Ning 洪芷寧 Designer and one of the “occupiers” at the Legislative Yuan We are all friendly people in daily life, and we were scared to do something illegal. But we knew we were doing something good, as we were in the company of very good NGOs. It was also the first time we really believed in something. Medical help and respected lawyers were brought in [to the Legislative Yuan] so we had someone to speak up for us. This made us feel better. We were very nervous, but around 3am we could see a video of what was happening outside: thousands of people had gathered around the Legislative Yuan to support us. It was so touching.

Going Show KUO 郭盈秀 Artist, activist, citizen reporter The occupation of the Legislative Yuan was prompted by a deeper identity concern. My generation belongs to the self-proclaimed “natural Taiwanese,” but we’ve been educated to be “Chinese.” KMT was the tragedy that happened in my parents’ generation. A lot of Taiwanese businesses established by people from that generation had relocated to China, which offered cheaper labor. Such an investment failed for Taiwan, as the profit stayed in China while we gave away our skills and knowledge.

1 The Legislative Yuan is the governmental court; the parliament.

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Photo Credit: HONG Tze Ning

Environmental challenges Taiwan has been one of the “Four Asian Dragons” since the 1980s. It is a member of the growing economies that have undergone rapid industrialization and become advanced in service and capital-intensive manufacturing. Electronic and computer parts are the production cornerstones in Taiwan, while labor-intensive manufacturing, such as garment manufacturing, have moved to cheaper locations like China.1 Most factories in Taiwan are located in the south, represented by the port city, Kaohsiung, which is also known for its extensive yacht building industry.2 However, Taiwan’s rapid economic transformation took place without much concern for the environment. Some of the country’s rising environmental problems are global, such as excessive greenhouse gas emission and watercourse pollution, while others are specific to the island and are often shaped by developmental choices as well as natural and geographical characteristics.3 A big environmental challenge in Taiwan is the contamination of soil, water, and air by heavy industries, mostly from the petrochemical sector.4 Taiwan didn’t start building an environmental protection system until late 1980s. At this point, damage to the environment had become so widespread that the government had to take action and set up a formal monitoring institution, known as the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA).5 There have been several initiatives and campaigns from the creative sector to address the damages of the petrochemical sector. The Anti-Kuokuang Movement (2010) was a creative campaign that had helped to stop the construction of a new petrochemical factory in Yun-Lin. The participation of famous film directors, scholars, poets, and other individuals from the arts and cultural communities, as well as farmers, oyster fishers, students, medical experts, lawyers, and religious groups contributed to the cancellation of Kuokuang Petrochemical Technology Corporation’s ( 國光石化科技 ) new plant.

1 "Taiwan Country Profile." September 2013. Accessed March & April 2017. http://www.aon.com/attachments/human-capital-consulting/Taiwan%20Country%20Profile.pdf.

2 "Harbour Dreams-Kaohsiung." Monocle. March 2013. Accessed March & April 2017. https://monocle.com/magazine/issues/61/harbourdreams/.

3 Grano, Simona. "Environmental Issues Facing Taiwan." Brookings. November 9, 2015. Accessed March & April 2017 4 https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/environmental-issues-facing-taiwan/ 5 Formosa Plastics Group ( 台塑集團 ) owns the biggest petrochemical refinery complex in Taiwan. It is a conglomerate of diverse fields, including biotechnology, petrochemical processing, and electronic components. The group also owns Taiwan's sixth Naphtha Cracker ( 六 輕 ), a site for the production of naphtha, a mixture of natural gas condensates, petroleum distillates, and the distillation of coal tar and peat.

Naphtha is used in different industries to refer to gross products like crude oil or refined products such as kerosene. http://web.epa.gov.tw/en/

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LIU, Luna 劉璐娜 Director of Social Empowerment Center As a result of the dictatorship it was taboo to raise awareness about environmental issues. It seemed too ‘anti-governmental’. Artists would state that “politics are politics, and culture is culture.” It was a very practical concern for people and it was not until recently that people began to express themselves more.

Energy There is a persistent anti-nuclear movement in Taiwan, visible through the many “No-Nukes” banners in bars, cafés, and galleries around the country. The 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan made people in Taiwan lose their trust in the safety of nuclear power plants. During the aftermath of the Sunflower Movement in 2014, the Taiwanese government decided to suspend the construction of the country’s nearly completed fourth nuclear facility. It seems, however, that political concerns dictate official environmental campaigns, which are often strategically timed before major elections.

In December 2015, representatives from over one hundred and ninety nations attended the 21st session of the Conference of Parties (COP21) at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris, France. Although not a member of the United Nations, Taiwan was present with an observer’s status. Legally binding agreements on the mitigation of climate change were made during the COP21 negotiations and Taiwan was expected to realise a 50% increase in energy efficiency by 2025, compared to 2005 levels.1 Taiwan’s government demonstrated a growing commitment to such task in June 2015, when the Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act was passed. However, this legal obligation to reduce greenhouse gasses demands immediate action and response from both government and society.

Taiwan is a country with scarce conventional energy resources and the vast majority of the energy is imported. It is relatively rich, however, in renewable resources such as solar and wind.2 While public legislation and design projects such as the Cijin Windmill Park in Kaoshiung3 show positive progress, the total renewable energy capacity contributes to a mere 0.5% of electricity generation at present in Taiwan. With the official goal for clean energy to account for 15% of the nation’s energy by 2025, renewable energy in Taiwan needs a reputation boost. The capital city Taipei is one of the most densely populated metropolitan cities in the world. Thousands of residents live in high-rises, leaving limited roof space to install solar panels and making national implementation of renewable energy difficult.

Taiwan developed the Renewable Energy Development Act in 2008, targeting at an increase of renewable energy power capacity by 6.5 GW to 10 GW in 20 years.4 By the end of 2013, renewable energy in Taiwan contributed to 8.7% of the national electricity generation.5 1 https://www.euractiv.com/section/sustainable-dev/news/energy-efficiency-is-taiwan-s-answer-to-cop21-challenge/ 2 "Energy Statistical Annual Reports." Accessed July 17, 2017. http://web3.moeaboe.gov.tw/ECW/english/content/ContentLink.aspx?menu_ id=1540.

3 Cijin Windmill Park connects Cijin Fishing Port’s tourist trail with seven three-leaf windmills.

4 Chang, Ming-hsuan, and Elizabeth Hsu. "Taiwan committed to developing renewable energy: President Ma." August 31, 2014. Accessed July 17, 2017. http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201408310010.aspx.

5 "Policy for Promoting Renewable Energy & Current Status in Taiwan." March 2013. Accessed July 17, 2017. http://www.mofa.gov.tw/ Upload/RelFile/2508/111035/2e9e6ebe-d594-4d46-822b-1110f07f8482.pdf.

Photo Credit: TheCube Project Space

陳又維拍攝

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Taiwan Arts Scene

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2.1

2.2 2.3

Development of Art Spaces and Audiences Art and Activism Funding Landscape Strengths

Open-mindedness Diversity Enthusiasm

Weaknesses

Fragile and limited international collaboration High dependency on governmental funding Limited private funding infrastructure

Pei-Ying LIN 林沛瑩 Artist, biologist A strength of the Taiwanese arts scene is that people are very idealistic and willing. That’s why everything can happen. People are willing to sacrifice their quality of living; they would live with their parents to save on rent, and use that money for financing a community art project.

2.1

Development of Art Spaces and Audiences

According to the World Cities Culture Forum, Taipei is home to 96 museums, 48 public libraries, 138 galleries and 36 cinemas, hosting 939 theatrical performances and 1,260 musical performances per year.1 Several art institutions and galleries were established around 1987, when Martial Law was lifted.2 These institutions, among them IT Park, started out as non-profit organizations to address different issues in society. “Taiwan studies” became a popular research field, and Taipei Fine Arts Museum (est. 1983) highlighted this interest with its 1993 exhibition The New Faces of Taiwanese Art (19451993), putting the island’s art history into perspective.3 A conservative cultural system, however, had been in place under CHIANG Kai-shek’s nationalist regime, resulting in a lasting public distrust in Taiwanese museums. Scholars, academics, and independent spaces such as Bamboo Curtain Studio (BCS) understood this skepticism and got to work. BSC was initially set up in 1995 as an alternative space for art projects that were too experimental for museums. It functioned as an incubator for young artists, many of whom are now well known in the art field. BCS is internationally recognised as a pioneering cultural space and residency site, having hosted over three hundred creative professionals over the years.

Iris HUNG Artist, Manager at Bamboo Curtain Studio 洪秉綺 Art has unique power to bring in the conversation and be the catalyst for change. The key mission is to open the global dialogue. We believe the art is able to make social change and able to provide another alternative perspective to understanding the world.

From our previous collaborative artists, we could really feel and witness the behavior change through engagement process. Our practice aims to promote cross-cultural exchanges by providing art and cultural workers with a creative environment and assisting them to carry out their productions.

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1 "Taipei." World Cities Culture Forum. Accessed July 17, 2017. http://www.worldcitiescultureforum.com/cities/taipei/data.

2 The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (Taichung) opened in 1988 and the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts opened in 1994.

3 Wei Hsiu Tung. Art for Social Change and Cultural Awakening; an anthropology of residence in Taiwan. Lexington Books, 2013.

Meiya CHENG 鄭美雅 Curator, Taipei Contemporary Art Center (TCAC) board member During 1990s, scholars worked on what lacked [in the field]. For instance there was a professor who started ACT, a very good contemporary art journal in which Taiwanese art history and post-colonial discourses were researched.

The professor revived an old magazine, became editor in chief, and gave the periodical a new context. His wife did the graphic design. No one was paid to do this. The protests, the journal…these were all different ways to make a similar statement.

The number of art spaces in Taiwan has increased dramatically since the 2000s.

TheCube and Taipei Contemporary Art Center (TCAC) were both established during this time. These artist groups were often founded by art students and professors in their earlier years. Open Contemporary Art Center (OCAC), for instance, was launched by Taipei-based art students and professors before becoming an independently run space in 2010.1 One may see many big museums and prestigious institutions in major Asian cities like Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Seoul. These establishments are mostly government or privately owned. Smaller-scaled investment is made in Taiwan, where the lack of diplomatic status for large-scale international collaborations has steered the cultural policy towards supporting micro-scale initiatives. A very lively and diverse local arts scene emerged, and many new initiatives get a chance. The downside to this blossoming local phenomenon, however, is that limited resources are available to build up longer, more in-depth, and bigger projects. This is particularly problematic for research and curatorial practices.

Ron HANSON White Fungus Magazine In Taiwan there is a willingness to break rules. Politically [the country] is pretty open compared to other places, take the Sunflower Movement as an example. But consumerism is still huge [...] If you want to organize something you have to be willing to break even or lose money.

1 http://open-c.blogspot.tw/

Biennales The Taipei Biennial was established in 1996 and is considered one of the most critical Asian biennales, often showing political work from across Asia that cannot be exhibited or discussed in other countries.1 That same year Taiwan debuted at the Venice Biennale with a Taiwanese pavilion funded by the government. Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM) always executes the programme for the Venice Biennale. Residency programmes are also considered to be effective tools to establish international relations and are usually supported (and initiated) by the government.

Nana, Yu-I LEE 李于一 Taipei Fine Arts Museum The Taiwan Pavilion in Venice is important for us and we see it as a cultural right to present ourselves to the rest of the world. The DPP [Democratic Progressive Party] administration pioneered in putting Taiwan on the [art] map and funded the Pavilion. The money came from the Ministry of Culture and the government spearheaded it all.

1 Between 1984- 1991 the TFAM hosted the exhibition projects ‘Contemporary Art trends in the R.O.C’ and ‘An Exhibition of Contemporary Chinese Sculpture in the Republic of China’ on alternate years. In 1992, these two exhibitions were consolidated to form ‘The Taipei Biennial of Contemporary Art’, which was the precursor to the Taipei Biennial. http://www. biennialfoundation.org/biennials/taipei-biennial/

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Sandy TU, Wei-Hsuan TU 杜韋萱 Former arts manager From observing recent discussions and debates and researching the public funding landscape of artist’ residencies in Taiwan, the public sector appears to prefer a more holistic approach to promoting artist residency programmes as opposed to the ‘artist village in a lost or discarded space’ tagline. A system of evaluation is employed by the Ministry of Culture to monitor the cultural capital investment, defining certain criteria for supporting artist residencies and making cultural policy the primary source in promoting artist residency programmes in Taiwan. It is important to note the work done by residencies like Bamboo Curtain Studio, Freedom Men Art Apartments, and Bywood Art Space in changing the scene of artist residencies.

Photo Credit: Bamboo Curtain Studio

2.2

Art and Activism

During the 1980s and 1990s, most artists strongly opposed the political system, middle class values and the media. Artist CHEN Chie Jen and performance artist LEE Ming-Sheng pioneered political work during the Martial Law period. Their artworks were catalysts for social movements, inspiring a wide range of political street theatre and performance art in the 1980’s.1 The Taiwanese government responded to civic demands in the 1990’s and formulated policies, such as “Integrated Community Building” and “Community Cultural Development,” enabling artists to work in communities with government support.2 Artist and curator WU Mali has been a key figure in the Taiwanese art scene addressing social and environmental issues since the 1980’s. Since the year 2000, community engagement has been central to WU’s practice.

From 2010-2012, she worked on a project called Art as Environment, a Cultural Action at the Plum Tree Creek with Bamboo Curtain Studio. This project won the prestigious Taishin Arts Award in 2013. She has also worked with various communities rediscovering a river (Of the River 2006), investigating the relationship between urban development and climate change (Taipei tomorrow as Lake Again 2008) and organizing festivals and public services (Tropic of Cancer Environmental Art Action 2006-2007). From 2010 it became more popular for artists to work on community projects and activist interventions, and there emerged a growing interest in local modern histories. On the east coast there are, and have been, a lot of protests against the government storing nuclear waste in Taitung and Orchid Island.

Orchid Island is where the indigenous Tao people have lived for years. They have a direct relationship with nature and depend on it for daily survival. Orchid Island has a long history of cultural engagement with environmental issues, dating back to the 80’s with the Orchid Island Anti-Nuclear movement, staging performance and theatre. In 1988 artist WANG MoLin participated in the street theatre Exorcising the Evil Spirits of the Island. This action is considered an important milestone for social art interventions and an early example of Taiwan’s cultural activism.

LU Pei-Yi 呂佩怡 Curator, arts researcher The social, political, and economic changes in Taiwan had a clear influence on the arts. Key features of socially engaged art such as “participatory,” “public,” “community,” and “civic” are all values that relate to a democratic society, and are only allowed in an environment that tolerates different voices.3 1 LU Pei-Yi. Towards Art/Society; Study on socially engaged art practices.” Research project for National Culture and Arts Foundation, Taiwan, 2015.

2 ZHENG, Bo. "An Interview with Wu Mali." FIELD. Accessed July 17, 2017. http://field-journal.com/issue-3/an-interview-with-wu-mali.

3 LU Pei-Yi. Towards Art/Society; Study on socially engaged art practices.” Research project for National Culture and Arts Foundation, Taiwan, 2015.

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CHIEN Hung Huang 黃建宏 Curator, professor Taipei National University of Arts Environmental art is popular in Taiwan because environmental policy failed with the democratization of the country. The short economic boom in the nineties created a lot of financial inequality and it changed the natural environment a lot. Fast growing businesses took away the resources of the people and their environment, though the people didn’t benefit from any of the profits. Artists felt this injustice very strongly.

SUN, Hua-Hsiang 孫華翔 R&D director, National Culture and Arts Foundation The Foundation organizes its own projects every few years, called Art Action, for which we work with local partners. They are mostly cultural organizations, local artists groups and community centres. The Foundation would invite artists to make film, related to the local environmental issues, that we screen in a mobile cinema installation. For instance, in south west Taiwan the air is very polluted due to heavy industries. Yunlin is the location of Asia’s biggest petroleum plant though it was traditionally a fishing town known for its oysters. The installation taught children about air pollution and the fishing industries, because the pollution made fishing difficult. The project aimed to educate the kids and write down how they feel about these developments. We care about having effect and realize the project will not make the petroleum plant go away, but might influence a new generation on the longer term to care.

Shu-Lun WU 吳淑倫 Artist, founder Taitung Dawn Artist Village The aboriginal communities need more involvement and support as the government currently has twenty-three development projects planned in the east coast, mostly planned in public areas such as beaches.

Now people are fishing there, but in the future they might not even be allowed to come there anymore because of the hotels that are being built. It’s mostly the local people and artists who fight against this.

Photo Credit: 台東曙光藝術村歷坵部落工作坊

Photo Credit: Cheng Tzu Yang In Taiwan East Coast Land Arts Festival 30

2.3

Funding Landscape The National Culture and Arts Foundation (NCAF) and the Ministry of Culture, both funded by the central government, are the two main funding bodies for the arts in Taiwan. NCAF mostly supports production, creation, and research in the field of arts and culture, while funding from the Ministry of Culture sponsors the operation and coordination of cultural spaces.

The central government plays an important role in subsidizing arts and culture both in facilities and programming.

SUN, Hua-Hsiang 孫華翔 R&D director, National Culture and Arts Foundation The role of the Foundation is not only to provide money to the [proposed] projects, but also to make connections with artists. With our platform we often invite curators and artists to write research papers and look into projects. We have mapped sixty-seven cases of community art projects, some of them we also supported.

Crowdfunding is gaining popularity in Taiwan, especially since the establishment of FlyingV in 2012, one of the largest crowdfunding platforms in Asia. In 2016 there were 36,723 people who sponsored projects, $106,949,374 NTD was raised and 237 projects successfully raised its funds in this year.

Another way artists make a living in Taiwan is through tapping into their family resources. Family structures are very strong in Taiwan. It is not uncommon for artists to live with their parents or use family property to start independent art spaces. This implies that family resources often dictate who gets to be an artist.

Tim CHENG 鄭光廷 Founder FlyingV FlyingV was founded to provide an environment where creativity of all forms can be showcased.

We look to be the bridge between creativity and resources. The belief that the arts should be a lifestyle, and not be owned by any specific group, helped us maintain our core value of being transparent and having no restriction on topics. In the past few years, through these creators we can see a real change in our society in the arts, music and film, design, technology, agriculture, leisure activities, social agendas, and even politics as we work towards our mission of creating a truly diverse and creative environment.

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Pei-Ying LIN 林沛瑩 Artist, biologist People with more resources can participate in or organise more art projects. People that are barely surviving don’t have time for these projects, as they need to do several jobs to pay the bills. If people didn’t use their family resources, nothing would be able to happen.

Jane Ingram ALLEN 艾婕音 Curator Cheng Long Wetlands Environmental Art Program The central government asked us to work with the local community and the sinking land. They provided some funding [initially], but we never know if we will get funding for the next year. This is a problem in the Taiwanese system. It means you can never plan things in advance, and when you receive funding, you have to rush everything; it has to be realised very quickly.

Though the funding is limited in Taiwan, official cultural policy is geared towards supporting more projects with smaller grants. This has created a diverse art scene in which a lot of smaller initiatives get a chance to access government funding. It is more accessible to smaller initiatives and individuals than in neighboring countries such as Korea and Japan, where big institutions receive the most government funding.

Policies in Taiwan focus on equal opportunities and the funds are spread thinly; a lot of people receive small funds. This has shaped the Taiwanese art scene for the past fifteen years.

Official institutions in Taiwan face a serious challenge in collaborating internationally due to the country’s unrecognised sovereignty. Some of the interviewees, such as technology writer Yahsin HUAN, also mentioned that the government is too easily swayed by media trends.

Yahsin HUAN 黃雅信 Tech writer The media “educates” the government, creating an unhealthy system of governance.

The government thinks more education programming means more innovation. But to foster creativity we need more collaboration between different fields. We need to enhance interdisciplinary collaboration.

Photo Credit: Outsiders Factory

3

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Terminology

3.1

What We Mean by Sustainability

Sustainability in the Taiwanese context 3.1

The word ‘sustainability’ has proven to be problematic as it means different things in different contexts and regions. It is a term used globally in many different ways. Some people consider it to be policy jargon or a Western word. It is found in annual reports of large commercial corporations (sometimes to ‘greenwash’ their practices) as well as with small environmental charities who use the same word to indicate their deeprooted engagement with environmental issues. Words such as ‘organic’, ‘green’, ‘natural’, ‘recycled’, ‘biodegradable’ and ‘renewable’ are seen all over consumer products and are used interchangeably. Used so frequently, some these words have almost lost their meaning.

The Chinese word for sustainability is ‘Yong – shu’ 永 續 , combining the words forever ( 永 遠 ) and continue ( 繼 續 ). In this guide, the word ‘sustainability’ refers to a holistic approach, recognizing the interconnectedness of people as well as nature. It means that sustainability encompasses and inherently touches upon social issues as well as environmental. Sustainability is about respecting and caring for your environment, people and planet, not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term social and ecological balance.

Since the 1990’s popular terms related to arts and sustainability in Taiwan have been ‘art intervention,’ ‘new-genre public art,’ ‘community art,’ ‘participatory art,’ ‘socially engaged art’ and ‘art as social interaction.’ Lately, these terms have lost their popularity and social art practice is generally referred to as ‘community engagement.’ Bamboo Curtain Studio, pioneering the movement, uses the terms ‘green art’ and ‘low carbon lifestyles.’

FANG Tze –Hsu 許芳慈 Curator, historian The word ‘sustainability’ is interesting translated into Chinese; it goes back to Taoism, referring to treating everything as an ecosystem. The best management of nature is ‘hands off’ as the ecosystem operates by itself. You have a humbleness towards the ecosystem and you submit yourself to it. There is an interesting filmmaker from the Philippines, Kidlat Zahimik, who converted to shamanism. He uses the word ‘duende,’ meaning hands off and listening to the cosmos.

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Jane Ingram ALLEN 艾婕音 Curator Cheng Long Wetlands environmental art programme In Taiwan, over the last years, art festivals, exhibitions and international art projects with an environmental or “green” theme have been on the rise.

Photo Credit: Cheng-Long Wetlands International Environmental Art Project

Photo Credit: Cheng Tzu Yang In Taiwan East Coast Land Arts Festival

4

Sustainability Trends

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4.1 4.2

4.3 4.4 4.5

‘Creative Parks’ Indigenous Arts and Cultures Social Design Community Engagement The U-turn

4.1

‘Creative Parks’

During the Japanese occupation a lot of industrial warehouses, railways and factories were built, mostly for the production of sugar, wine and paper. Though the buildings and train tracks often remained, the factories became inactive and derelict. Part of Taiwan’s cultural policy is to transform these empty spaces into ‘creative parks’ for arts, culture, crafts and retail. Some of these creative parks function as artist residencies (such as Soulangh Culture Park) though quite a few of them have become commercial, as they are privately managed. In Taipei the main creative parks are Songshan, established in 2012 with the objective to ‘nurture creative talents and energy’ and Huashan 1914 Creative Park. Huashan was amongst Taiwan’s largest wine producers in the early 20th century, and was abandoned after the 1920’s. Artists started using the empty spaces as studios and for performances. In 1999 a NGO was established to oversee the restoration of the factory into a fully-fledged arts center. The factory was renamed the Huashan 1914 Creative Park and in 2005, the restoration officially began.

Shu-Lun WU 吳淑倫 artist, founder Taitung Dawn Artist Village Most of the creative parks on the east coast belong to the government. Having a successful creative park or residency doesn’t just depend on space, it needs the resources. It’s best for the creativity of these spaces when artists run them, but the artists often can’t pay the rent.

When the government leads them, there are a lot of challenges: it’s often very hard for the governmental auditors to understand what’s going on as they don’t understand the content of the artistic programme and the type of expenses.

Even though a lot of the old factories have been converted into creative parks, there are still a lot of newly built but disused public spaces in Taiwan, often referred to as ‘mosquito halls.’ These buildings are mainly caused by election promises, blindly following trends (building a huge sports park or mall, for instance), inadequate planning or bad design not meeting people’s needs and becoming redundant, misdirected policies or inadequate funds for construction. One hundred examples of these buildings are being showcased in the book Mirage; disused public property in Taiwan. This book is the result of five years of research by around two-hundred students, looking at over four-hundred cases of disused public facilities.

The project was executed by Lost Society Document, formed by artist YAO Jui-Chung and students identifying public facilities whose construction cost has outweighed their public benefit in the last twenty years.

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4.2

Indigenous Arts and Cultures

The indigenous population, mostly living on the east coast of Taiwan is known to have a great knowledge of natural materials and sustainable techniques. The indigenous artists inspire Taiwan with their music, crafts and art. There are a few organizations that were founded to celebrate and protect the indigenous tribes, such as the Promotion Center for Indigenous Cultural Industries or the Council for Indigenous Peoples, and organizations like the Lovely Taiwan Foundation and the TFAC are interested in their artwork.1 However, while the east coast is full of indigenous artists, there is less attention and funding for artists living and working there.

Though Indigenous art is popular with tourists, the love is not always mutual; a lot of the artists hide from the tourists as they don't want to be interrupted in their work. They are shy, and there are language barriers – they often don’t speak English and/or speak a different (indigenous) Chinese dialect. The work of indigenous artists includes paintings, sculpture, and fiber art, and they use natural materials such grasses and driftwood. Indigenous artists get limited opportunities within the ‘art system’ as they are not usually trained in writing project applications and they are not known or connected to the art scene. Their work is often seen as craft rather than art, mostly because of the material use. They don’t make typical ‘museum work.’ The east coast of Taiwan is popular with artists as it is generally considered more relaxed than Taipei; the pace is slower, there is more creativity and an organic, natural art scene that is not about making money or being seen, but functions on a day-to-day level.

Indigenous music is considered very powerful and includes a lot of protest songs against new highways or nuclear power stations. During the Japanese occupation, land was taken from indigenous tribes on the east coast. Local communities were forced out by the government.

That land has been used for mining and logging, causing deforestation and soil deprivation.

1 http://www.apc.gov.tw/portal/?lang=en_US

Photo Credit: 台東拉勞蘭小米收穫祭

Shu-Lun WU 吳淑倫 artist, founder Taitung Dawn artist Village In the East Coast artists don’t get many chances. They are out of the contemporary art region (Taipei) and people don’t know what’s happening in the area. I want to create opportunities for artists in the East Coast, allow them to be inspired and open their eyes, as well sharing their resources and inspiring others. There are so many artists in the East coast there is even a saying about it: ‘You throw a stone, you hit an artist.' ( 在東部隨便丟一塊石頭 , 都可以 丟到一個藝術家 ) Photo Credit: 原住民藝術家安聖惠的作品

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LIU, Luna 劉璐娜 Director of Social Empowerment Centre The policies for Taiwan are all decided in Taipei, which mean they will be dominated by city views. Taipei's views are influenced by the malls and having all the (educational) resources available. However, in Taipei there is no idea of water pollution or understanding of farming practices. People outside of Taipei therefore often feel they can’t change anything. Every now and again you see individuals with a great vision and who get very engaged. Some conservative (rural) residents might still be against them and remain in favour of the government, because the government will provide them with some money.

Compared to other museums, The Kaoshiung Museum for Fine Arts (KMFA) has been promoting indigenous art and Austronesian art a lot. This museum plays an important role in promoting artistic development, introducing important art trends from abroad, exhibiting works by artists from Taiwan and other countries. They occupied forty-one hectares in the local area (including the Neiweipi Cultural Park) to integrate art, culture, creativity, ecological preservation and education. The museum showcased the exhibition Boundary Narratives in 2016, displaying work by Sakuliu Pavavalung and Rahic Talif, two indigenous artists who are pioneers in closely combining contemporary artistic creation and their indigenous heritage.

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipei (MOCA) celebrates the work of indigenous artists with the annual Pulima Art Award. This award was founded by the Indigenous Peoples Cultural Foundation in 2012 and is the first award dedicated to indigenous art in Taiwan. It emphasises the cultural ownership of the indigenous community as much as it recognises creativity. Through the Pulima Art Award, the Foundation aims to encourage new artistic expression and indigenous arts practice that challenges conventions and boundaries.

4.3

Social Design Taipei won the designation for World Design Capital for 2016 and is promoting itself as flourishing creative city in which design is used to improve social, cultural and economic life. This was managed by the Design Centre, founded in 2004 to develop the creativity of Taiwanese designers, promote international design exchanges, improve the market competitiveness of Taiwanese industries and help enterprises build up their brands.

The theme of the Taipei World Design Capital was ‘The Adaptive City’ with an interest in ‘social design.’

However, ‘social design’ is a term that is not always fully understood by the public. The same goes for terms like ‘creative industries’ and ‘creative economy.’ Multiple interviewees confirmed that, generally, the design scene is still quite conservative, and designers are judged on their reputation and networks, rather than their concepts.

The Spanish collective Basurama was one of the winners of the international open call as part of Taipei World Design Capital. They have provided key insights in how it is to work in the Taipei design world as a ‘foreign’ collective.

Photo Credit: Bamboo Curtain Studio

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Mónica GUTIÉRREZ Basurama One of the most challenging things we are going to face in our project in Taipei will be to manage fear – there are so many regulations and signs not only about what you can do but how you have to do it. It’s quite strange for Spanish people to see those signs in public space and public parks. Maybe in Spain you would see some signs about what you can’t do but there would never be signs about how you have to play or have to behave.

We also feel by talking to neighbours and some of the citizens we have been meeting during our visit in Taipei, is if one person disagrees and one hundred people agree the disagreeing person will win. That's a really hard par t for working in public space and community projects and working with citizens and encouraging social transformation and bottom up initiatives. Because they are always afraid of that one person that might disagree.

But we also have to say we are amazed with the efficiency of Taiwanese people and how proactive they are and the capacity to face problems and come with solutions. (...) We are very pleased with the work we have been developing with them and looking forward to keep on collaborating with them.

Ben CHIU 邱乾珉 Executive Director Taiwan Designers' Web Taiwanese design is directly connected to industry. Compared to Japanese design, Taiwanese design is more casual and made with a sense of humor. The Taiwanese have good skills for making models and drawing, and designers are trained to making perfect lines and products, and it’s not about their personal style or who they are as a designer. This makes it easy to work with Taiwanese designers as their ego rarely gets in the way.

Shikai TSENG 曾熙凱 designer The market for design is not very mature in Taiwan but there is a lot of energy. A lot of Taiwanese students go to the Design Academy in Eindhoven and the Royal College of Arts in London. Design schools in Taiwan are more focused on the needs of the industry. As the economy is going down the focus is even more on the industries. In terms of economy, Taiwan relies on China too much…

Community Engagement 4.4

In past decades, with Taiwan’s economy becoming increasingly post-industrial, the Taiwanese public is paying more attention to local, tangible, everyday issues, including community engagement. Self-organised initiatives such as food kitchens where people can bring their leftover food or when you can do community work, are thriving. However, these people rarely call themselves artists or activists. There is a range of very impressive art projects mobilising large numbers of people such as the award-winning Plum Tree Creek project,1 a two-year engagement project around the Plum Tree Creek, a small polluted river in Zhuwei, New Taipei City.

The project was an ‘artistic exploration of sustainable development, environmental protection and encouraging community participation.’ This manifested as breakfast gatherings, trekking around the creek and community theatre. The creek had been severely polluted, distorted and covered up, and the aim was to not only raise awareness but to stimulate the local community to take ownership.2 The Cheng Long Wetlands Environmental Art programme is another example of effective community engagement. The programme was set up to help the sinking village of Cheng Long re-brand as an eco-village. There have been big changes in the village since 2009 due to destructive typhoons and overpumping the groundwater system. While the whole of Yunlin country depends on its underground water, big industries are allowed by the government to use it, causing the land to sink and the failure of rice farms and agricultural land. Cheng Long is an example of what will happen in other places too. The art programme invites artists through an open call to make site-specific work using only natural materials.3 Social media, especially Facebook, is popular in Taiwan and helps to raise awareness about environmental issues. People can support movements and connect with each other. The media blocks certain news stories, and social media provides a channel to show people outside of the community what has happened.

It allows civil society a voice and the potential to build movements and campaigns –the Sunflower Movement, for instance, was built through social media.

1 Plum Tree Creek project received the 11th Taishin Arts Award.

2 http://bambooculture.com/en/media/1151 3 https://artproject4wetland.wordpress.com/

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Zhao Mei WANG 王昭湄 Coordinator Cheng Long Wetlands environmental art programme Only art is not enough, you also need education. And it’s important to have a physical presence in the community – we are always working on the weekend as it’s important to have weekend activities and reach people from different ages. If you can get the children involved, you can get the whole community.

Daniel GRUBER RE-THINK We've all been educated on what ‘environmental friendly’ is, from reuse/ reduce/recycle, to the aspects of environmental science. It also has become a cliché and only few people pay attention to it in real life. So, what we're doing at RE-THINK is to reverse the image of environmentalism by recreating its design. We design eye-catching or even humorous posts and let people know environmental issues can be fun, stylish, or interesting.

When raising environmental awareness, the real target audience we want to reach is not environmentally friendly people but environmental unfriendly people, so creating something that will attract them will be the most important thing.

LIU, Luna 劉璐娜 Director of Social Empowerment Center The young generation gets involved with the international society through social media. Environmental issues are presented in more active ways, via film, photography, they are using different ways to protest, more creative ways. Even the farmer movements are not just protesting but really linking with their supporters and they all act in solidarity with each other.

4.5

The U-turn An interesting trend is the growing movement of people moving back to their home towns to start working as farmers or set up small community initiatives. Often they have studied elsewhere but decide to go back to their hometown to prioritise ‘doing something meaningful’ over a career or high salary. Some of them start small bookshops, organise beach clean-ups, become farmers, or work in some other way to address social and environmental issues, which are more present in the countryside. This has also resulted in an increasing number of artist communities in all corners of the country.

Photo Credit: Cheng-Long Wetlands International Environmental Art Project 48

Fei WU 吳虹霏 Curator, archivist What you see happening more often, is young people who want to move back to their communities, to move out of the cities. Taipei is much more expensive compared to other places in Taiwan.

It's too expensive and too busy. People are going back, becoming farmers, care more about growing their own food – particularly after the few food scandals we had. We are a small country, so young people are becoming more aware of what they can do themselves, especially after the Sunflower Movement. They try and make small, local change.

Yipei LEE 李依佩 Curator I am going to move back to Yunlin hoping to bring back the info from Taipei to Yunlin. My father wants to grow rice and I want to help him and grow an arts community. There is a big lack of opportunities for a young generation in the countryside. I’m doing research on starting an independent bookstore and hostel. The bookshop could focus on literature from and about South-East Asia, as there are a lot of people from South East Asia in the region. The hostel will be for artists who want to do a project in the village. Now we are still experimenting to see what works with the residents. They are all very happy and welcoming and excited we want to do something.

Photo Credit: Bamboo Curtain Studio

5

Concrete Recommendations

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5.1

5.2

5.3

5.4

5.5

More Research and Less Focus on Direct Outcomes Developing Private Funding Streams Building Cultural Bridges in Southeast Asia Interdisciplinary Collaboration Careful Urban Planning

5.1

More Research and Less Focus on Direct Outcome

Most of the interviewees indicate there is a need for more art research without a direct and tangible outcome. Though the majority of Asian countries have experienced some form of colonization in the 19th and 20th century, most of the available research considers art after the 1980s and 90s. This is problematic for art history research as for instance the rise of nationalism after independence is not contextualised. Also there remains a need to better understand the histories between different Asian countries in the region. Not all useful resources have been translated into regional languages, meaning some knowledge and stories stay within their country.

The need for research relates to the issue of time. Research is costly because it’s timeconsuming and therefore not popular with governmental funding. In addition research results are not always the most public facing; exhibitions, talks and events can read wider audiences than research, is the general opinion. For the same reason the interviewees indicated their frustration that governmental funding doesn’t allow you to slowly build up a project and establish relationships. Time-consuming equals expensive. Mutual trust and solid relationships are key to successful community art projects, but this needs investment of time as they need to be carefully built up. This process is les interesting for funders than an event with a visible outcome. However, quality of the outcome depends on these relationships with the community and the collaboration partners.

Current Taiwanese cultural policies are focused on activity (lectures, exhibitions, events) – translation and art history are underrepresented, long-term projects and research are missing, but policy does not prioritise these needs despite them being fundamental to a healthy arts ecosystem.

Furthermore, as is often the case, governmental funding comes with specific reporting and documentation requirements. Markets, community events and festivals are the guiding post. This has become problematic for research and curatorial practices which are often not as outcome oriented. The same stands for residencies, where outcomes sometimes only become visible on a much longer-term timescale.

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Pei-Ying LIN 林沛瑩 Artist, biologist After my residency at CERN something that became very clear is the importance of research without promise of direct delivery. It’s crucial research, but no one knows if or when it will deliver. Still it’s important for the government to support it. In Taiwan research is not fitted in the funding structures. Especially for artistic research there are no funding streams. Grants are very outcome based; you need to publish a lot of papers and journals.

I-Chern LAI 賴怡辰 Artist There is too much focus on documentation of workshops and activities, but a lot of paperwork doesn’t say anything about the quality of the event.

Margaret SHIU 蕭麗虹 Artist and founder Bamboo Curtain Studio When artists return from international residencies their outcome may be quite intangible and not of much direct value. (…) the impact may not have a concrete and significant outcome until five or ten years later, as proven by reports such as the Asian Cultural Council. We need to establish a new paradigm on the evaluation of the value and outcome of residencies, setting up indicators for alternative values where interfaces may have long-term impacts such as curatorial and research based residencies.

Photo Credit: Fay YANG 楊芳宜 and Lala WANG 王彥臻 . Workshop in the Creative Re-Use Centre

5.2

Developing Private Funding Streams

The government has a prominent role in funding the arts in Taiwan, though the current setup appears to often hinder the growth of artists. Though there are a few enterprises that have long supported the arts, the infrastructure for accessing private funding is not very developed, especially in comparison to Japan, for instance.

The government‘s role doesn’t have to be limited to funding. It could be useful to provide other resources, improving networks across the sector, and connecting people with spaces. The government can provide things without money using trades or in-kind support. Money is not always the answer to the problem.

The dependency on government funding also impacts the character and diversity of the contemporary arts scene. As it is very challenging to survive as an independent space and the private funding options are limited, people will default to government funding. Accepting government funding means you have to become part of that structure, having the administrative systems and staff in place to follow the bureaucratic procedures that come with government funding.

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Frank HUANG 黃偉倫 Artist, Co-founder Polymer We need better networks within the city government, so our voice can be heard and they will listen more. It's the parliament members who need to change the regulations.

If we want to solve the problem, we need to change the regulation first.

Amy CHEN 鄭慧華 Director TheCube Project Space As an art space you are forced to become more and more institutionalised. That’s because they rely on governmental funding. When you rely on that system it can’t be avoided to become part of the system. You need to follow a certain administrative process. We should be aware of that.

Unconsciously you become an institution. But we need to ask ourselves, do we want everything under the big umbrella to look similar?

Photo Credit: TheCube Project Space

陳又維拍攝

5.3

Building Cultural Bridges in Southeast Asia This guide aims to build bridges between Europe and Asia. Taiwan could benefit from strengthening its ties with other continents, building an open, multicultural atmosphere, bringing in international creative talents and start-ups (rather than just providing working visas for so called ‘blue collar workers’), and thereby simultaneously creating a cosmopolitan and creative climate for the younger generation, encouraging them to stay in Taiwan rather than move overseas. Currently, Taiwan is facing a 'brain drain’ –25% of its citizens working abroad have no intention of returning home. China is particularly appealing as it’s close and there is no language barrier.

While low wages make Taiwan’s companies more competitive on cost than those based in the US or Europe, it means foreign rivals can outbid local groups for educated workers.

However, what seems to be even more of an opportunity – if not a need –is to develop stronger ties in the wider Asian region. Strengthening Taiwan’s independent position it is of crucial importance to form strategic allies and exchange knowledge on a multitude of topics, especially in growth areas in the region such as Indonesia and Cambodia.

Other countries in the region are facing similar environmental challenges, such as the effects of hydro-dam construction on the natural environment. There is a shared history that should be further explored to be wider understood in a more complete and interconnected way. For this it is important that essays, research and key historical documents can be accessed across countries, which flags up the need for translation.

Though historically there have been economic ties in the region, there has been limited artistic exchange. This only started in 2012, pushed by a collective called the Outsiders Factory, who started with sharing basic information about art history in South East Asia.

Since 2013/2014 independent spaces in Taiwan, as well as policies and funding from the Ministry of Culture, started to become more interested in international working as economic and political shifts took place across South East Asia, including in the arts.

Australia, Japan, Korea and Singapore have started collecting a lot of South East Asian art.

A big reason why there is a lack of collaboration and exchange projects within Asia is their common history; during the Cold War most Asian countries suffered conflicts between communists and nationalists, and after the 1950’s most left-wing ideologies were repressed. A lot of countries in Asia are still forming their postcolonial identity.

However, it is also because of this shared history that Taiwan will most likely more similarities in Asia than with European countries.

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CHIEN Hung Huang 黃建宏 Curator, professor Taipei National University of Arts In Asia the countries were looking less at each other. It’s only now that we are re-thinking our relationships. The strong countries in Asia are looking at a more international model. This inward looking was also related to the phantasm that CHIANG Kai-Shek created, stating Taiwan is China. During the cold war the Taiwanese people couldn't even go the coast as it was full of soldiers. There were no diplomatic relationships with the outside world. In the 50’s there weren’t even any international movies available in Taiwan.

Yahsin HUAN 黃雅信 Tech writer It’s important to be able to communicate in English. If you can’t it can be an obstacle to stay connected with the world. It’s also our tool to report to the world what is happening in Taiwan. We used to have quite a lot of English-language editors and reporters here in Taipei, but they all left for Hong Kong, Beijing and elsewhere.

Cheng 陳運成 Planett We are looking for more artists from Asia to join the Planett residency programme as it works easier and cheaper. There are no problems with VISA, and especially for Korean and Japanese artists it is very cheap in Taiwan. We want to make more connections in Japan and Korea.

Nobuo TAKAMORI 高森信男 Curator KMFA, Outsiders factory History is a big reason why there is a lack of exchange within Asia. In the Cold war period, when China was the People’s Republic of China and aligned with Russia, the Chinese nationalist party came to Taiwan. During the Cold War most Asian countries suffered from conflicts between communists and nationalists and after the 1950’s all left winged ideologies have been repressed [in Taiwan]. Now most artists try to engage with the post-cold war situation, our psyche is still under the structure of the Cold War. This is also to do with the Military Law. Taiwan often collaborates with developing countries. Usually, international collaborations are funded 50% by the Taiwanese government and 50% by the other party, but developing countries often can’t afford that. Some people, including Takamori himself, have made the case to government that this should change, leading to successful policy change. When inviting South East Asian art professionals, the collaboration is fully funded by Taiwan. With international exchanges they often work with independent individuals rather than institutes. In developing countries, the national institutes are often political.

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Rain WU 吳雅筑 Architect I always look for opportunities to bring my talented designer friends in the UK over to Taiwan. In the same way, I think the UK needs to have more showcases of the Taiwanese designers. Many other countries have a national foundation to deal with that. At the moment, Taiwan only has a small cultural division, and it is under the foreign ministry and not the cultural ministry. A lot of this bureaucracy complicates the cultural creation.

For those coming to work in Taiwan a map of support facilities (industry, suppliers, technicians, project managers etc.) would really facilitate creative people.

Especially because language is a big barrier.

Photo Credit: Outsiders Factory

Cross-disciplinary work and makerspaces 5.4

Innovation happens when different disciplines rub against each other. It catalyses new solutions to old problems, sparks new perspectives and insights and helps humanity to move forward.

Therefore, interdisciplinary work is key when trying to tackle environmental issues. Internationally, the art/science movement has grown to a mature discipline and is carefully gaining traction in Taiwan. Pioneers in this movement are the makerspaces bridging arts and engineering, and the bio arts movement, bridging art and biology. Some makerspaces in Taiwan include Dimension +, Openlab Taipei, Fablab Taipei, Taipei Hackerspace, Fablab Dynamic, MakerBar Taipei, FabCafe Taipei, Fablab Tainan, GoodWork, C4Labs, Hackerspace, Hualien Hackerspace, BioArt.tw, FutureWard, Digilog.tw, FABLAB NDMC, CLBC coworking space, Planett, FablabSci Taiwan 科學 Maker 社群 .

The maker movement was born out of 3D printers, which are increasingly affordable and offer people new digital tools.

Globally people are losing skills from the old arts and crafts masters because young people are not learning them. However, makerspaces are bringing back the culture of making, including merging traditional arts and crafts techniques with cutting edge technology and DIY approaches. In Taiwan there are still a lot of people who can make delicate and high quality detailed work.

Fablab TP for instance is making traditional puppets, continuing and “upgrading” old craft traditions, and making them more relevant to modern times.

A lot of classrooms in high schools and colleges have transformed into makerspaces, providing facilities and tools.

The so-called ‘maker movement’ is still growing, evidenced by the amount of people going to Maker Fairs and the increasing number of new makerspaces opening.

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Yahsin HUAN 黃雅信 Tech writer We should put more time and energy into interdisciplinary projects, collaborative projects between fashion and technology for instance. I’m a bit disappointed to see how little makerspaces are actually collaborating with people with a different expertise. I think one reason is over the years we have put too much focus on getting good grades and are having to do tests all the time. That does not require you to be creative. The arts and music classes are reduced and maths and science classes prioritised. The education system is killing creativity, it is limiting our imagination.

Bio-Art Taiwan focuses on ‘biosecurity and social awareness about technologies in a post-contemporary state.’ Bio-Art.tw informs audiences how technology is affecting our minds and lifestyles, and focuses on how to bridge science with culture and society through art.

Because science communication in Taiwan is usually limited to traditional academia, they are considered experimental. That’s why they work in the arts – it’s the only category that fits their practice. The challenge with Bio-Art as a discipline is that the work is conceptual and there are limited attempts to explain the work to audiences.

Funding for these type of initiatives mainly comes from China. Funding opportunities in Taiwan are available for science, but Bio-Art as a discipline is considered too “artistic” to be science.

Nan-Shyan CHU 朱楠賢 Director General National Taiwan Science Education Centre We still have a long way to go to include the arts. Earth science hasn’t got a direct relationship with the arts. Now they focus on making science more fun, make it more interdisciplinary and easy to access. Art is a good way to achieve this. The museum is a science education centre and it’s hard to tightly connect that with the arts.

5.5

Careful Urban Planning

Taipei is undergoing rapid physical redevelopment. This process is known as ‘Taipei’s excessive urban renewal’ and is feared to neglect local heritage, widen the gap between rich and poor, drive creativity out of the city due to rising accommodation prices, and weaken the city’s identity, energy and unity needed to exploit opportunities. The influx of foreign capital and international brands are threatening to replace Taipei’s unique local culture. For both social and environmental sustainability, as well as creativity, it is crucial that the city’s growth is carefully and strategically planned. In 2011, the Urban Regeneration Office of Taipei City attracted consultant Charles LANDRY to help develop their urban revitalisation strategy and action plan. Extensive research resulted in eleven critical issues that need to be addressed in relation to rapid urban growth and strengthening Taipei’s status as a creative city, including the need for an integrated talent retention (including younger companies and startups) and the need for more partnerships. A central point in this research is the speed and size of developmental proposals for real-estate that are driven by land-value. LANDRY finds that the public sector should play an important role in innovation through a progressive, collaborative procurement policy.1 The points are: 1)

The public bureaucracy is not fit for purpose for 21st century conditions

2)

Taipei needs an integrated talent retention and attraction policy

3)

Taipei needs to continually monitor its creative ecology and be alert to necessary interventions

4) Taipei needs to dramatically rethink its real -estate driven city making. It needs to be ethically principled driven rather than purely land value focused.

5) The five major development proposals currently under discussions can present an important symbol of changed perspective and priorities.

6) Understand that a 100 small projects done well and orchestrated can be more effective than an imposing physical structure.

7) Create a development framework that safeguards the old appropriately and blends well with the new.

8)

Make partnership working Taipei’s daily practice

9)

Instigate an integrated city-wide support for younger companies and start-ups.

10) Establish a Creativity Platform to harness the collective imagination of Taipei.

11) The public sector should play an important role in innovation through a progressive, collaborator procurement policy.

For more details on the research and 11 points of Charles LANDRY, please see the publications ‘Taipei: A city of Ambition’, Talented Taipei & the Creative Imperative and A Creativity Platform: harnessing the collective imagination of Taipei.’

1 Charles LANDRY. Taipei: A city of Ambition, Talented Taipei & the Creative Imperative, and A Creativity Platform: harnessing the collective imagination of Taipei. Urban Regeneration Office Taipei City 2015.

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Photo Credit: Guandu International Nature Art Festival

Going Show KUO 郭盈秀 Artist, activist, citizen reporter The land should not be a product only rich people can buy. We have the right to live but don’t have the right to own the earth. Now a company can buy a beach and privatise it. Just like you can’t buy a person, you can’t buy the earth. The resources we use are being polluted, and we only know how to make money. We earn money to live and go to better places. We need to help others, even if you think it’s not your business. It is our common responsibility to look after each other. Take the example of the eviction of the Hua Kuang neighbourhood. A lot of the residents were too old to protest and young students demonstrated for them because they cared. They didn’t even live there but they cared about them.

The older people cooked for the students. A lot of people in Taiwan don’t want to risk losing things. They fear not having a job.

Photo Credit: White Fungus Betty Apple performing at The Editorial, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, 2016. Photo by Ema Chang

6

Overview of Organisations

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6.1

6.2

Introduction to the Overview Selected Initiatives

6.1

Introduction to the Overview This Overview offers a selection of fifteen initiatives in Taiwan engaging with social and environmental sustainability. It is a combination of art spaces, festivals, biennales, government agencies, platforms, residency programmes, artist initiatives, labs, community organisations and more.

The selection was made by the researcher and is not exhaustive. It is based on over fifty interviews conducted in Taiwan between November 2016 and May 2016, and may provide a starting point for those wanting to make connections in Taiwan with artists and other creative people committed to building more sustainable societies. The Overview features the following details: . A description of the initiative . When it was founded . Who it is for . Some entries include a quote from the organisation . The URL

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Photo Credit: Bamboo Curtain Studio

6.2

Overview entries

1. Name: Bamboo Curtain Studio Founded: 1995 Type: residency, independent art space Quote: Iris Hung Art has unique power to bring in the conversation and be the catalyst for change. The key mission is to open the global dialogue. We believe the art is able to make social change and able to provide another alternative perspective to understanding the world. From our previous collaborative artists, we could really feel and witness the behavior change through engagement process. Our practice aims to promote cross-cultural exchanges by providing art and cultural workers with a creative environment and assisting them to carry out their productions.

Who for: artists, writers, curators, residencies, policymakers, environmentalists, communities and scientists from across the globe who are keen to engage in social and environmental projects and want to network in Taiwan.

URL: bambooculture.com

2. Name: Bio-Art.tw Founded: 2012 Type: experimental art space Who for: biologists, scientists, artists, (bio) hackers Quote: Pei-Ying LIN We can’t ‘save’ other species, as we don’t know what they have in mind, what is good for them. Can we say we have a better life? We only have the ability to judge ourselves. A lot of environmentalists are trying to save the earth or some animal. I recently read that less cute looking animals get less research funding. Everyone should be engaged in this conversation, but I think artists can show us how to observe and think. Teach us how to have our own opinion.

URL: bioart.tw

3. Name: Cheng Long Wetlands Environmental Art Programme Founded: 2010 Type: annual art programme, residency Who for: artists, environmentalists, locals, craftsmen, children Quote: Zhao Mei WANG In the past the villagers were cutting the trees, now they are protecting the forest. The project did work, the villagers now think their land is beautiful. Maybe they cannot solve the problem of the land sinking, but they have learned to live with it and still appreciate it. There is so much participation from the villagers now.

URL: artproject4wetland.wordpress.com

4. Name: East Coast Living Arts Festival Founded: 2015 Type: festival Who for: anyone interested in the East Coast of Taiwan and aboriginal culture, artists, locals, environmentalists Quote: Shu Lun WU On the East Coast there are a lot of protests as the Government is taking all the nuclear waste to Taitung and Orchid Island. There is a huge gap between the grassroots and the government and the government is often just making secret (illegal) deals when it comes to nuclear waste or development projects. It’s mostly the local people and artists who fight against this.

URL: eclart.tw

5. Name: g0v Founded: 2012 Type: hackerspace Who for: web developers, programmers, (elite) hackers, professors, NGO/NPOs, activists, students, writers, artists, designers and other professionals.

Quote: From webpage People gather here to share expertise, learn together and generate meaningful results. Everyone is always welcomed to join g0v.tw with passion and a devoted attitude.

URL: g0v.tw

6. Name: Guandu International Nature Art Festival Founded: 2006 Type: festival, nature park Who for: everyone, young and old who enjoys nature and/or sculpture Quote: Nelson CHEN and Yi-Fen JAN It’s our mission to change peoples’ attitude to nature (...) The park was initially set up because the birdwatchers from the Bird Society were noticing the bird population was declining and they suggested to create a conservation area. Since the festival the opened at the nature park became really popular. The legendary festival opening in 2015 received more than 20.000 visitors. Even though we don’t have art backgrounds we are keen to learn more, about land art for instance.

However, our starting point is nature and an artists’ starting point will be the arts.

But the artwork here will always be eco-friendly.

URL: www.guandu-natureart.tw 68

7. Name: Meinung Yellow Butterfly Festival Founded: 1995 Type: festival Who for: locals, nature-lovers, children, (performing) artists, NGO’s, Quote: Chen CHU, the major of Kaoshiung (online statement) The festival allows people to learn about the local ecology and brings children closer to nature, otherwise they are at home watching TV. URL: mpa.artlife.tw/mall/help_info-3-9.html

8. Name: Nunshunshing Factory ( 能盛興工廠 ) Founded: 2013 Type: Residency, independent art/creative/environmental space, abandoned factory, platform Who for: The factory is always looking for like-minded people to connect and collaborate with. Artists, environmentalists and people interested in alternative ways of living. Open to all ages and backgrounds (also English speaking).

Quote: Deedee WU We organise a lot of different activities, from free markets, to anticapitalist seminars, we cut hair (for free), work with small-scale organic farmers and have No-Nuke events. We don’t have a core mission but rather work on projects that we find important and relevant. We work with nine core partners. It’s all about co-living in the community and we take our inspiration from nature; how birds connect with the trees and how harmoniously everything is connected. In the factory we live like one big family but without hierarchy.

URL: ffffactory.blogspot.tw

Photo Credit: Bamboo Curtain Studio

9. Name: Open Lab Taipei Founded: 2009 Type: makerspace Who for: locals, makers, hackers, artists Quote: Hung-chi CHENG( 鄭鴻旗 ) Sometimes people buy tools and that generates some income. Most of the time however people borrow the tools and they leave a little stick it note with their name and the description of the tool; it’s all based on trust. Our ambition is not to work on big projects per se but mainly to have the space and be there for the community. We find it important to use recycled materials and to physically be there for the community.

URL: openlabtaipei.blogspot.tw

10. Name: Outsiders Factory Founded: 2012 Type: platform Who for: artists, curators,writers, anthropologists, historians, activists and anyone interested in both contemporary art and South-East Asia.

Quote: Nobuo TAKAMORI 高森信男 Curator KMFA, Outsiders factory I’m tired with ‘just exchange’ and am advocating for more deep engagement in Asian art, including looking at art history and art theory. There is no real knowledge of the history.

This is a big problem in the region.

URL: outsidersfactory.web.fc2.com/workers_101.html

11. Name: RE-THINK ( 重新思考 ) Founded: 2013 Type: RE-THINK is a non-profit campaign which operates with other foundations and organizations to cultivate an environment that inspires people to take action to achieve healthy ecosystems; to teach children the importance of environment friendly practices through education programs; to advocate a single-use, non-biodegradable plastic bag ban; and to raise awareness in communities about coastal preservation, ecosystem protection and water quality.

Who for: children and adults who want to do something creative and care about the natural environment, or just want to learn about it.

Quote: Daniel GRUBER Our mission is to educate people through real action. "Environmental protection" can hardly be taught through words, so our job is to guide people to the nature and see the pollution and reality through their own eyes.

URL: rethinktw.blogspot.tw 70

12. Name: Taitung Dawn Artist Village Founded: 2012 Type: Dawn Artist Village is a non-profit organization that promotes the arts both locally and internationally through art residencies, exhibitions, workshops, and participating in festivals.

Who for: artists and anyone interested in aboriginal cultures and the East Coast of Taiwan Quote: Shu Lun WU, founder Taipei business style sits uncomfortably with the Taitung style. Compare it with a mall versus a grocery store– you need to find out the passion of the local, otherwise your initiative will not survive on the long term. In the beginning some people might come, but it will not survive if you can’t feel the area.

URL: dawnartistvillage.com

13. Name: Taipei Artist Village & Treasure Hill Founded: 2001 Type: artist residency Who for: artists, locals Quote: Taipei Artist Village and Treasure Hill Artist Village are building a multinational network of associative participation via artist-in-residency programs. With studios, accommodation and different supports, this is the place for local and international artists to practically promote cultural diversity centered on the city. It generates artistic energy with cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary exchanges and collaborations, and to generate the dialogue with society and community issues to free-up people's creativity and imagination for the better life.

URL: artistvillage.org

Photo Credit: Fay YANG 楊芳宜 and Lala WANG 王彥臻 .

Workshop in the Creative Re-Use Centre

14. Name: TheCube Project Space 立方計劃空間 Founded: 2010 Type: gallery, exhibition space, curatorial programme Who for: artists, curators, students, Quote: Amy CHENG Currently TheCube is very much focusing on the Asian region and particularly South-East Asia, for instance with a one-year lecture programme on multitudes, social movements in Asia.

We are interested in the social and political changes and how they influence culture change. In addition, we look at the local and work with local artists who are looking at modern history.

URL: thecubespace.com/en/about

Photo Credit: TheCube Project Space

陳又維拍攝

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15. Name: White Fungus Founded: 2004 Type: bilingual arts magazine Who for: Anyone interested in contemporary art, new music, history and politics Quote: Ron HANSON The surface of politics doesn't explain why we can’t deal with our problems. But artists aren’t doing a better job. Being a professional artist comes with a very narrow range of career opportunities decided by a very small group of people. The oil and tobacco companies are also involved. It’s a difficult scenario to challenge. We all deserve to work hard and be rewarded and we all want a future. When you don’t buy into the illusion it’s not looking good for you. Also it depends on luck. But to trot out a somehow meaningful cliché, where there’s a will there’s a way.

URL: www.whitefungus.com

Photo Credit: White Fungus

Photo Credit: Fay YANG 楊芳宜 , Workshop in the Creative Re-Use Centre

Photo Credit: g0v

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References References, list of interviewees

after All the interviews and conversations were conducted between November 2016 and June 2017. Interviewees were selected based on their position in the Taiwanese art and design scene, their potential to instigate change and raise awareness, and whether they could converse in English and connect to an international audience.

Please note that many of the interviewees are not in the same job position anymore.

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Abby HUANG (Greenpeace Taiwan) Amy CHENG 鄭慧華 (TheCube) Bart van BUEREN (Dutch Design Post, Tainan) Ben CHIU 邱乾珉 (Taiwan Designer Week) Catherine LEE 李曉雯 (Bamboo Curtain Studio) Chien Hung HUANG 黃建宏 (curator, professor Taipei National University of Arts) Chien Pang CHOU 周建邦 (Artbus) Shu Chun LAI 賴淑君 (British Council Taiwan) Chu PING 朱平 (Ripplemaker Foundation/Red Room) Daniel GRUBER ( 丹尼爾 ) RE-THINK Deedee WU (Nunshunshing factory, Tainan) EJ SO 蘇義傑 (Acidlab) Emily HSU 許越如 (researcher, curator) Escher TSAI 蔡宏賢 (Dimension Plus) Fang Tze HSU 許芳慈 (curator, PhD Candidate) Fei, WU 吳虹霏 (Nature More x Fab Life) Frank HUANG 黃偉倫 (Polymer) Going Show KUO 郭盈秀 (activist) HONG Tze Ning 洪芷寧 (Sherry, Bamboo Curtain Studio) Hua-Hsiang SUN 孫華翔 (R&D director, National Culture and Arts Foundation) Hung-chi CHENG( 鄭鴻旗 ) I-chern LAI 賴怡辰 (artist) Iris HUNG 洪秉綺 (Bamboo Curtain Studio) Jane Ingram ALLEN 艾婕音 (Cheng-Long Wetlands International Environmental Art Project) Jason LIOU 劉致昕 (Business Weekly, A Break Café, Tainan) Jeanny CHEN 陳怡孜 (TAV/TACPS) Kuan-Yin LIU 劉冠吟 (PhD Candidate, Soulangh Artist Village) LEE Yingping 李應平 (Lovely Taiwan Foundation, Creative Re-Use Centre) LIN Chen-Wei 林正尉 (4-Way Voice newspaper, Outsiders Factory) Luna LIU 劉璐娜 (Social Empowerment Centre, Youth Synergy Taiwan Foundation) Mali WU 吳瑪悧 (artist, professor NKNU, Kaoshiung) Margaret SHIU 蕭麗虹 (Bamboo Curtain Studio) Mark HANSON (White Fungus) Meiya CHENG 鄭美雅 (TCAC) Mónica GUTIÉRREZ (Basurama, for Taipei World Design Capital) Nan-Shyan CHU 朱楠賢 (Director General National Taiwan Science Education Centre)

Nelson CHEN 陳仕泓 (Guandu International Nature Art Festival) Nobuo TAKAMORI 高森信男 (Outsiders Factory, curator of Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts) Paul GONG 宮保睿 (speculative designer/Bio Art.tw) Pei- Ying LIN 林沛瑩 (Bio-Art.tw) Rain WU 吳雅筑 (designer) Ron HANSON (White Fungus) Shikai TSENG 曾熙凱 (designer) Shu Lun WU ( 吳淑倫 ) Taitung Dawn Artist Village Singer HSU ( 許昕 ) JUT Foundations for Arts and Architecture Tim CHENG 鄭光廷 (Flying V) Vancci WAHN 萬凡齊 (CCIRDC) WU Dar Kuen 吳達坤 (director Taipei Artist Village) Yahsin HUANG ( 黃雅信 ) Tech writer YANG Chia-Hsuan 楊佳璇 (Howl Space) Yi-Fen JAN 冉挹芬 (Guandu International Nature Art Festival) Yi-he LI 李翊禾 (Last Longer Project) Yi-pei LEE 李依佩 (independent curator) Yves CHIU 邱俊達 (curator, Phd Candidate) Zhao-mei WANG 王昭湄 (Cheng-Long Wetlands International Environmental Art Project) 陳禹安 (Nos) Planett 陳運成 (CHENG) Planett

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A special thank you: The cover image is made using a silkscreening technique at the Van Eyck Academy in the Netherlands, using a combination of photographs from different partners from across Taiwan. We extend our gratitude to Margriet Thissen at the Charles Nypels Lab for this. Furthermore we would like to thank the following partners for the use of their images: RETHINK, TheCube, Outsiders Factory( 奧 賽 德 工 廠 ), Etan Pavavaljung( 伊誕 ), South Wind( 透南風 ), BCS, ( 林泰州 ), Artist Army Camp( 西螺大橋藝術兵營 ), Post-Ecolonialism Project( 後植民計畫 ). The images, showcase a beach clean-up, a group of hikers, and several art collaborations.

We hope you enjoy the reading of this, as much as we enjoyed the making of it!