Art exhibition to explore human connections with nature

Taipei, June 30 (CNA) A national biennial art exhibition will kick off in October in Taichung and will feature projects from 49 artists and groups that explore the connection between humans and nature, the organizers said on Tuesday.

The "2020 Taiwan Biennial - Sub Zoology," held at the city's National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, will explore what it means for humans to be an animal species, said the museum's director Lin Chi-ming (林志明).

One of the 49 projects that will be exhibited at the biennial is a multiple channel video installation entitled "The Extreme Journey of Perwira and the Calm Sea: In 3 Acts" by Malaysian artist Au Sow Yee.

The work is based on re-imagining the journey of a historical figure Tani Yutaka, who carried the nickname Harimau (Malay word for Tiger) and was considered a local hero in the Malay Archipelago by helping the poor fight against the rich, Au said.

"So its interesting for me to look at him as a combination of both a man and a tiger. He has the body and flesh of a man, but he has a spirit of a tiger," Au told CNA.

Meanwhile, another aspect of the biennial is to allow the audience to re-think a series of important aspects about how humans exploit the Earth's natural resources, said the exhibition's curator Yao Jui-chung (姚瑞中).

"Because humans are considered more advanced animals, we tend to treat other animals as slaves and plunder the planet's resources," he said.

Another art project to be exhibited are works by Canadian and Hong Kong artist Sheryl Cheung, who will feature art on paper created by pencil and raw materials from the earth such as dirt, fire, and plants.

Her installation area will also allow visitors to experience experimental music, including the sounds of places she has visited, Cheung said.

"I also gather sounds from nature, such as using different microphones to listen to the pulses of plants, feeling the inner energy and their alter relationships," Cheung said.

The 2020 Taiwan Biennial, which is now in its seventh edition, will be held from Oct. 17 to Feb. 28, 2021.