Taiwan artist's social awareness exhibition debuts in Canada

Vancouver, May 30 (CNA) A photography exhibition that aims to bring awareness to Taiwan's abandoned public properties made its Canadian debut at the Museum of Vancouver on Thursday.

The opening of the Taiwanese photography exhibition, titled "Mirage: Disused Public Property in Taiwan," was initiated under the rhythmic beats performed by Tian Jin Formation Drum Team, a Canada-based Taiwanese-cultural drum troupe.

Present at the opening were the exhibition's creator Yao Jui-chung (姚瑞中) and documentarian Sandy Lo (羅秀芝), who filmed the photographer's decade-long process of snapping pictures of his subject matter, the high number of public architectures abandoned by the government after they were built.

Aimed at tackling the social issue using the power of art, Lo's photo series began in 2010 when he took his students to conduct field research on constructions funded by the government for public use.

He has dubbed such architectures "mosquito pavilions," a common term used in Taiwan on buildings that garnered an infamous reputation for being an attraction for mosquitos due to them being abandoned.

Buildings tackled by Yao were erected but subsequently left unused due to a lack of understanding about the demographics and a miscalculation of community population on the government's part, according to the photographer.

Yao and his students discovered over 400 such constructions spread throughout Taiwan and archived 100 of the buildings into the photographer's eponymous book that was first published in 2016.

"I brought one of Taiwan's ugliest sides to the world," Yao said. "But what is commendable is the fact that Taiwan is a society that allows discussions of such issues to be conducted freely, so as to initiate change."

Yao added that he had delved into the project prepared to potentially lose his job, but did not expect that Taiwan's inclusiveness and tolerance would be able to instead grant him the room he needed for his creativity.

Lo, meanwhile, was glad to be a part of the project and have the opportunity to adapt it as a documentary.

"'Mosquito pavilions' exist all around the world," Lo said. "I am glad that this project, when exhibited around the globe, could be sympathized by the local community."

Aside from Yao and Lo, the museum's CEO Mauro Vescera attended the launch as well, alongside head of the Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles Chien Teh-yuan (簡德源) and also Angel Liu (劉立欣), director-general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vancouver.

The exhibition marked the second collaboration between the museum and the academy since the two penned a mutual memorandum of understanding in 2022 to cultivate cultural exchanges between the entities.

On the selection of Yao's project as an exhibition at the museum, Vescera said the photo series made quite an impression on him when he visited Yao's studio in Taiwan back in 2022.

Vescera explained that aside from his personal affection, the interest displayed by students from the University of British Columbia to explore Vancouver's own issue with disused buildings was another reason for Yao's selection.

Additionally, Vescera said he was happy to have the 150 photos from Taiwan along with the documentary on the project at his museum.

With the positive reception of Yao's project and the first collaboration between the two entities, Chien said the museum and the academy have already begun discussions on the next collaboration.

"Mirage: Disused Public Property in Taiwan" will be exhibited at the museum for three months from May 30 until the end the of August.