text by Huang Hai-Ming
This is not a regular solo exhibition, nor is it a mere retrospective; instead, it is a collective, profound, and inspiring art project that attempts to intervene in Kaohsiung, Qijin, and the art museum.
Preface
This is an ambitious and well-structured exhibition, but it is also one that is incredibly challenging, the reasons are as follows: 1. Many of Wu Mali’s significant works were large art projects in actual spaces, which meant they are unable to be relocated to art museums and unable to be duplicated. How should an impactful exhibition be assembled? 2. Apart from being an artist whose works change with the times while having consistent statements, Wu is also a prestigious curator; or, to be more precise, a core advocate behind the scenes of several ongoing art projects. Personally, I believe the latter identity is greater than a curator. Therefore, it is naturally difficult to curate an exhibition for a multifaceted artist with such a unique artistic trajectory. How should I emphasize this while making actual contributions? 3. The more I learn about the exhibition, the more I realize that Dàng: Wu Mali is actually a complex collective art project, one that endeavors to bring actual changes and attempts to intervene with Kaohsiung, Qijin, and the art museum. How can I stress this aspect and bring certain impacts?
Instead of saying that the exhibition is a retrospective of the artist, it would be more suiting to describe it as a review of the development of Taiwan throughout the past decades. After recreating, assembling, and interpreting her works, Wu’s connection with contemporary society has become even more intimate, and the artist proposes some important insights and inquiries. Not only is this an excellent exhibition, but one that poses a certain extent of structural collaboration with the art museum. Interestingly enough, collaboration inevitably brings tension; not only has this intervening exhibition brought new energy into the art museum, but the museum has also become a mediator in the complex relationship.
I.Extensive Pre-Exhibition Research
(1)The three public talks with professionals arranged by the exhibition department:
Long before the exhibition was held, the museum director, the artist, and the team at the art museum already had ideas about the exhibition, and three public talks with professionals were arranged: Diverse Fruits of the Avant-garde—Deconstruction of the Knowledge System, Super Mario—From Opposing and Criticizing to Coexisting and Merging with the Institution, and Sustainable Homeland: Systematic Research on the Ecology and the Environment.
This also roughly determined the three central themes of the exhibition: 1. Diverse Fruits of the Avant-garde—Deconstruction of the Knowledge System: Wu contributed significantly to introducing US and European avant-garde art and literature trends, such as workThe Library, which reflects on the foundations of art epistemology by p resenting shred ded international classics. The work was showcased at the 46th Venice Biennale in 1995 and during the Scriptura solo exhibition at a gallery in Italy; 2. Super Mario—From Opposing and Criticizing to Coexisting and Merging with the Institution, Wu and the women of Taiwan introduced “feministic thinking” into masculine society, slowly shaping “art that interacts with society” through the nourishing awareness of inclusivity, intersubjectivity,collaboration, the temporal, and sensibility. 3. Sustainable Homeland: Systems Research on the Ecology and the Environment: an eco-system that includes the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (KMFA).
Personally, I believe a sustainable homeland to be the ultimate goal, but gentle and firm intervention in Qijin, the art museum, and Kaohsiung to further intervene with the art ecology of Taiwan or the mechanism of art museums is required. Therefore, a complex, collective art assembly project that leads to actual effects is needed. There is room for continuing development here.
Of course, this exhibition includes retrospective elements, and the compelling images in the tour guide brochure convey a sense of melancholy toward the changes of the times. Still, what the assembly and reinterpretation show is the ambition for the future, and this is what I would like to draw focus to. However, to allow this exhibition, which includes a small number of displays, to have more impact, it is necessary to understand elements that are not immediately visible. Therefore, I have conducted some observations and research, which I am painstakingly sharing with readers.
(2)Research About the Context of a Few Important Exhibitions
(a) The History and Problems of the Development of Kaohsiung City
During Japanese Rule, Kaohsiung Harbor and Kaohsiung City were developed as a base for expanding colonial power toward Southeast Asia. After the 1940s, due to the needs of the Southern Advance Policy, the Japanese positioned Kaohsiung as a base for industrial development.
After 1945, Taiwan was handed over to the Republic of China government, and governance more or less maintained past practices. Five of the Ten Major Construction Projects wererelated to Kaohsiung (National Highway No. 1, electrification of the Western Line railway, shipbuilding yards, steelworks, and the petrochemical industry), which accelerated the development of Kaohsiung. During the 1970s and 80s, Kaohsiung became a leading base for industrial development, and the establishment of the two export processing zones, as well as the massive investment of national heavy chemical industrial capital, shaped Kaohsiung into both an international commercial port and an industrial port city.
However, half a century later, transformation in the overall urban industry was imperative, and the transformation of Kaohsiung Harbour mirrored the changes in the cities. Environmental pollution, bad water quality and water pollution, and the low percentage of green spaces all became issues residents of Kaohsiung hoped to change. The elevation of culture and a unique composite ocean city that covers the mountains, sea, rivers, harbor, industries, and cities awaited construction.
(b) The Relationship between Art Museums and the Transformation of Kaohsiung City
As someone who has long paid attention to the development of the KMFA, after Yulin Lee took the post as the museum director, she noticed Mayor Chen Chu’s anticipation for art museums with the goal of integrating the harbor with the city. Furthermore, the inner and neighboring spaces of the KMFA, such as Neiweipi Ecological Park, the constructions of the internal spaces of the art museum, the connection between the inner and outer structures, as well as the subjects of some of the exhibition series, and everyday art promotions and education, all show the direct or indirect relationship between the operation of the museum and the transformation of Kaohsiung City.
The director stated that this was due to an autonomy rooted in unique personal experiences and that although the process was filled with difficulties, it also brought joy and led to fruitful results; this also shows KMFA’s post-museum attribute of igniting social change. The exhibition Still Waters Run Deep, which was curated by the director herself and transformed the urban imagination of Kaohsiung through the imagery of quiet, poetic water, is a classic example. Back then, I dedicated some time to researching the exhibition and the possibilities of using the interior and exterior spaces of the KMFA. In addition, I believe that although D.ng: Wu Mali is a lot smaller in scale, it inevitably shows connections with Still Waters Run Deep; of course, the perspective is different.
(c) Research on Qijin’s Regional Isolation and Decline
Researchers have pinpointed the reason for Qijin’s decline as the impact of the division of labor of global Capitalism on contemporary trade, which has led to the central government’s gradual integration and incorporation of its spaces. In the context of Developmentalism, space refers to trade spaces that align with prevailing national objectives and Capitalism; they can be arbitrarily planned and sacrificed, which ultimately leads to the fragmentation of its inner industry and the uneven development of Capitalist geographical space, adding to its dependency and marginality in history.
The declined Qijin was once the origin of urban Kaohsiung and a major fishing harbor. Within Qijin lies the Kaohsiung harbor, the naval district, and the settlement of people who relocated from Dachen. Impacted by the area of buildings, the developmental space of the region is limited, and because young people are relocating to other places for livelihood, the area is severely struck by aging. Many families in the region consist of only the elderly, and it is also a region with higher percentages of migrant brides.
During t he earl y st ages of t he curat ing process, t he exhib it ion t eam al ready noticed that Wu Mali’s physical works were few, and many were not set against the backdrop of Kaohsiung. Since they were aware of the art intervention projects that Wu conducted in Qijin with her students, the team strongly advocated for a higher emphasis on Qijin, which also allows the exhibition to present a clear differentiation from regular displays that feature the transformation of Kaohsiung as a harbor city.
(d) Interdisciplinary Community Mobilization and Institutional Collaboration in Art Actions
Apart from paying attention to the practical idealism demonstrated in Wu Mali’s social participation art actions, I was also aware of how Wu continued to mobilize different forces, including government institutions, art institutions, educational institutions, regional cultural community development organizations, and local residents to intervene in the social and ecological environment through art.
The most classic example is Art as Environment: A Cultural Action at the Plum Tree Creek, and Taipei Biennial Post-Nature—A Museum as an Ecosystem , which Wu, an artist who has dedicated extensive time paying attention to and practicing environmental issues, co-curated with Francesco Manacorda, the then Artistic Director of V-A-C Foundation.
The main contents and the personnel and teams mobilized by Art as Environment: A Cultural Action at the Plum Tree Creek are as follows: 1. Breakfast at the Plum Tree Creek: Execution team: Wu Mali and A Cultural Action at the Plum Tree Creek Team. 2. The Shape of the Village: The Moving Museum: Execution team: Tamkang University Department of Architecture team including Huang Jui-Mao ＋ Xiao You-Qi ＋ Gao Feng-Mei ＋ Chen Zheng-Yong ＋ Wu Wen-Quan Studio407 (Tamsui Community Studio). 3. Food Theater: Community in Action: Execution team: Taipei National University of the Arts team including Jung Shu-Hwa +Yu Hsin-Yen + Chen Yi-Xiu+ Chen Jia-Jie. 4. Living Green Locally: Plant Dye: Execution team: Zhang Hui-Li+xin Pei-Jin+Chuwei Junior High School. 5. There’s A Stream in Front of My School: Execution team: Margaret Shiu +Zhuwei Elementary School, elementary school nature and social science teachers + community members. These practices show the importance of food amid community environmental artmobilization.
In addition, the configuration and mobilization of the 2018 Taipei Biennial environmental project Post-Nature—A Museum as an Ecosystem also deserves attention. Invitations to participate in “Post-Nature—A Museum as an Ecosystem” center around the trait of t he “creative practitioner;” participants were not limited to artists but also included more than a third of social movement groups, environmental conservation communities, writers, and fiction authors, among others. Contemplations on “the co-existence of culture and the ecological system” are conducted through the exchanges between works created by the international art world and different fields.
As the Taiwanese co-curator, the four sub-topics that Wu stresses in Post-Nature—A Museum as an Ecosysteminclude: 1. “Post-nature,” 2. “Post-human,” 3. “Post-colonialism,” and 4. “Post-museum.” “Post-museum” refers to how the museum should take the role of “leading cultural development” in an urban setting, bringing discussions on the environment into the museum, which is also something that we, as people living in contemporary times, should engage in. This mindset of viewing museums as advocates of the urban environment is also what the KMFA needed.
Wu Mali is not only someone who is invited to show works at the KMFA, but the project also includes collaboration that benefits both parties at a higher level; it’s not that it wasn’t an instant match. Wu has taught in Kaohsiung for many years, and her projects that integrated art into communities include the Yanchao fault zone, Takao Ginza in Yancheng, Caogong Channel in Fengshan, and Cijin Kitchen. Furthermore, in Still Waters Run Deep,the opening exhibition of the reconstructed KMFA space, Cijin Kitchen was positioned as an external exhibition.
Based on personal observations, despite its smaller scale, the connection between Dàng: Wu Mali and the re-opening exhibition Still Waters Run Deep includes interesting differentiations, as in differentiations in speaking position. This is also something that required special attention and careful handling during the curation process.
Ⅱ. The Intertwining Narrative Routes in the Exhibition:
The intertwining narrative routes not only reveal the intimate connection between each work but also ensure that the works and interior and exterior spaces of the museum come together as a cohesive and mutually reinforcing whole. This approach guarantees that the exhibition or art project can engage in intricate, tightly knit, and eloquent dialogue with the broader Kaohsiung environment and specific regions.
Lobby
Super Mario 2.0(2023): Super Mario does not include any unnecessary accessories or the spectacular main body of a vehicle; only two self-propelling wheels. Wu once described Super Mario as her self-portrait, embodying a fiercely independent spirit; it is a work that was created by adapting to varying spaces and reflects the evolving zeitgeist. I believe her unassuming demeanor coupled with a keen awareness of underlying issues defines her unique behavioral pattern.
The interactive work Follow the Dream-Boat(2001) asks viewers what their dreams are. In the past, people eagerly awaited the arrival of mullets; what were the hopes and dreams in times of uncertainty? Asking questions is another one of Wu’s important approaches.
Gallery 104
To Reconstruct 1cm³ of Land, It Requires a Centennial(2023): Kaohsiung’s air pollution is caused by the city’s heavy industry and chemical industry, while the Gaoping River also suffered from severe pollution. Today, the pollution in the Gaoping River has improved, while the remediation of Love River is something that has been witnessed by the public. The site of the museum was originally an irrigation pond that was painstakingly repurposed and intimately connects the museum with the Neiwei Wetland Park while integrating with the urban surroundings. As the bedrock for all endeavors, land encompasses other vital elements, like air and water, to facilitate the holistic growth of various pursuits. Though these attributes may not be immediately apparent on site, they are prominently exhibited in the second-floor corridor. This delay is intentional.
Memorandum for the Next Round of Peace and Prosperity(2023): Around the corner of the colossal To Reconstruct 1 cm³ of Land, It Requires a Centennial is Memorandum for the Next Round of Peace and Prosperity, a work that is lightweight but heavy at the same time. On the bookshelf next to the work is the book Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins.
Pine and Matsutake are usually the first to land on “ruins;” they enrich the soil by interacting with the environment, making it possible for other broadleaf plants to grow. Therefore, we can view pine and Matsutake as a construction that repairs the land and forest. Here, it can be seen as survival wisdom of Capitalist ruins or sugarcoated Capitalist ruins.
In the exhibition, Wu Mali does not present the attitude of directly confronting Capitalism, but the act of placing this book next to the important work To Reconstruct 1 cm³ of Land, It Requires a Centennial inspires thoughts that include problems of the development of Kaohsiung and Qijin.
Gallery 105 and the Front Section of the 2nd-Floor Corridor
The By the River, On the river, Of the River is arranged on the steps of an ascending staircase, simulating the bodily experience of going upstream, alluding to the connection between the extended territory and culture while connecting with the ensuing Aerial Video of Plum Tree Stream.
Ariel Video of Plum Tree Stream(2017): “Art as Environment: A Cultural Action at the Plum Tree Creek” originated from environmental problems, including concrete covering, pesticide, pig manure, and household sewage in Plum Tree Stream of Zhuwei, Tamsui. Art as Environment: A Cultural Action at the Plum Tree Creek also involves impactful community mobilization, and this article presents some of the necessary descriptions. In addition, the window in the work allows it to connect with the Neiwei Park outside the art museum, while the seeds in the park also connect with Hyphal-system - Like Art Museum: Seed Project, which seeps and expands into the city of Kaohsiung.
Stories of Women from Hsin-Chuang: Hidden in the large, dark purple fabrics with flower patterns are the voices of the female workers in textile factories, which echo the exhibition theme “Dàng(instability),” especially in terms of family instability, and how although women are inferior in society, they must shoulder the burden of the family. The work stresses the idea that women can be strong and need to work together to change the state of affairs; this will be elaborated on later.
Hyphal-system - Like Art Museum: Seed Project: This is the site of the first conclusion. Lean against the wall and look down, and visitors will see To Reconstruct 1 cm³ of Land, It Requires a Centennial, Memorandum for the Next Round of Peace and Prosperity, and the book Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins. Another display case against the other wall shows how the soil, which includes organic substances, entered the museum, and how the seeds were collected from the Neiwei Park, as well as how the ecology is expanded to the city through the soil downstairs and the seeds from the park.
Shredded Baluba(2023): As time has passed, the Baluba textbook on contemporary art, which was once a great source of inspiration, now requires a revision. Wu told us that many classic works need to be reevaluated. Reading Space: Presented in this area are art books that Wu either wrote, translated, or worked on as the editor-inchief, creating a space for visitors to comfortably read or deconstruct the books from a critical perspective. By integrating the art museum with the library, the work stresses the increasing importance of knowledge and how art museums need to continue to collect, construct, and renew, or even deconstruct reconstructed knowledge systems to face the challenges of a world that is rapidly changing and distorted by human beings.
Camouflage (Power Shovel): Although this work may be small, it poses significant and thought-provoking questions. The process of altering the interconnected system of art museums is a challenging task. Do we genuinely intend to bring about change, or are we merely putting on a show?
Back to Gallery 105 on the First Floor
Here, Wu Mali transports visitors from the white museum space to the old, declining fishing port of Qijin, next to Kaohsiung Harbour. The large projections connect Qijin with Kaohsiung Harbour and Kaohsiung City, which is on the other side of the shore, creating a stark contrast; these are all regions that have endured drastic change over time.
Swing 2023: A set of swings fall into view upon entering gallery 105, one is a simple swing while the other is a larger one built with an A-shaped stand with some old-styled dining ware placed precariously on top, falling at the slightest movement. This immediately suggests the instability of the home, especially in times when the nation is faced with decline and war, forcing nationals to flee, migrate, or search for other ways of survival, either as individuals or as an entire family. This work and the neighboring works Tastes of Empire and What Is Taste? Stories of Food and Migration almost make a coherent whole.
Tastesof Empire: This work features six “taste” providers who moved to Qijin at different times. Their food and relocating stories are epitomes of the city of Kaohsiung and the collective experiences of Taiwan, moving here due to wars between empires, globalism, and for survival. “What Is Taste? Stories of Food and Migration” conveys the idea that the most distinct tastes are probably dishes of the hometown or a mother’s signature dish that can no longer be savored due to war or migration. Taste is intimately connected with relocation and the fading away of good things, but it also includes the strife for development amid hardship.
Sweeties: Placed in another corner of the exhibition space are large numbers of yellowed black-and-white photographs featuring children that look like people who have been sacrificed in war, but when visitors look closely, they will see that these children all grew to become famous figures who impacted the entire nation or century. This work also poses a connection with Swing 2023 and Tastes of Empire.
After viewing the exhibition, visitors can sit on the empty swing and contemplate the display. I believe the thinker on the swing is the central focus of the gallery and may even conclude the entire exhibition, which is also stated in the images of the tour guide brochure.
Conclusion:
The exhibition boasts an exceptionally skilled and proficient curatorial team. As the mid-stage coordinator of the curatorial process and as a longtime cultural observer, I have compiled the above to show the preparations, understanding, imagination, and contemplation of the exhibition, and this article is, of course, an attempt to give the exhibition an ongoing impact.
The first half of this exhibition conveys the changes in the artist’s aesthetics, while Follow the Dream-Boat gives us the clear message of searching for cause and method in our ordinary lives, listening to the pains and hopes of the public, and mobilizing the public to strive for the peace and comfort of individuals and the community. Super Mario tells us that the definition and approaches of art are always changing. Wu’s attitude toward aesthetics focuses on social change, and the objective of the creative practice is to benefit the relationship between society, the environment, and the people. I believe that To Reconstruct 1 cm³ of Land, It Requires a Centennial appeals to removing harmful objects or systems and transforming them into beneficial conditions, which leads to Camouflage: (Power Shovel): Do you mean it, or is it just for show?
Art does not exist for the purpose of showcasing personal talent, nor is it limited to disclosing problems. Instead, it is a way of collaborating on important issues with the public, interdisciplinary professionals, and public or private institutions. In particular, for artists skilled at social observation and critique, the act of collaborating with institutions was almost taboo in the past. However, how can change be possible without some sort of collaboration? Nevertheless, the KMFA is also in the midst of transformation, which makes this resemble some sort of conspiracy.
Never underestimate the power of small changes! Transformation often entails detours and requires accumulating extensive public engagement and various forms of collaboration. Wu Mali does not state this clearly, but she has created an environment that encourages people to contemplate and expand their thoughts. In my opinion, the thinker on the swing is the last work of the exhibition.
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Dàng: Wu Mali Solo Exhibition
2023.03.11 - 2023.07.02
Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts Room 104-105
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