Project Overview

Taiwan has long been a beautiful island with a diversity of ethnic groups. With the liberalization and diversification of society, life experiences and cultural values that could not be easily categorized and defined have begun to be seen and heard. The Images of EVOLVING TAIWANESE is centered on the theme of “What can represent Taiwan's imagery?” The exhibition explored the diversity of Taiwan's culture by combining artifacts from the National Palace Museum and other materials transformed through digital technology. The exhibition utilizes artifacts from different periods to interpret Taiwan's diverse cultures and ethnic groups to convey Taiwan's uniqueness.

Multi-media presented Taiwan's cultural diversity. For example, the “Face Interactive Wall” allows visitors to take a picture of their face and use the system to blend it with the faces of others to symbolize the integration of ethnic groups. The “Qianlong Era Map of Taiwan” allows visitors to digitally explore early cultural relics. The exhibition depicted Taiwan's cultural fusion through scenarios such as showcasing the diverse culinary culture creating a stage car to recreate the vitality of the people, or playing familiar and unfamiliar songs to take the audience on a journey through time and space.

Organisation

Taiwan Hakka Culture Development Center, Hakka Affairs Council

Team

Taiwan Hakka Culture Development Center, Hakka Affairs Council,National Palace Museum

Project Brief

“The meeting of people and the hybridity of cultures have made Taiwan what it is today.”

Different rulers in Taiwan's history have categorized the people of Taiwan. For example, there were the “mountain aborigines”, “plains aborigines”, “Han”, “Pepohoan”, “Gaosha”, and even today's “Four Major Ethnic Groups”. Regardless of whether the categorization is based on lineage or culture, there are always areas that are difficult to define and require special attention. Additionally, the categorized Taiwanese will continue to change their identity through migration and intermarriage. People also find their niches within the narrow confines of the rules of governance. Dynastic and policy changes also brought about different categorizations of people and immigration of different natures, resulting in new waves of cultural and social exchanges.

The meetings and interactions of these waves of people form a hybridity with each other. This is reflected in all aspects of Taiwanese life in concrete and subtle ways. From daily objects and living habits to beliefs, arts, and crafts, the cultural elements of different groups of people are accumulated, as well as the influence of mainstream culture on Taiwan in different eras.

Project Need

The venue was the First Exhibition Hall in the Liudui Hakka Cultural Park. The hall is a 611.5 square meter long space. To present a complete picture of the diversity of Taiwan's imagery, the team planned the exhibition in a timeline. The exhibition was divided into four zones: Formosa as seen by foreigners in the 17th century, the collision and integration of different ethnic groups, replica objects, and digital technology demonstrations. The four zones were interlocked, and the cultural hybridization imagery was interpreted to the fullest extent.
Visitors were generally surprised that the exhibition was able to convey Taiwan's diverse cultures intimately. When homemade food, stage cars, and music, which have long been implanted in one's memory, became the focus of the exhibition, visitors were able to visualize the diversity and fusion of cultures. In particular, the “Face Interactive Wall” and “Stage Cars” made the cultural exhibitions more approachable for those who do not like to visit exhibitions. The interactive approach brought the audience closer to the cultural exhibitions.

Design Challenge

The main difficulty was the fact that the theme is cross-cultural and cross-ethnic. The team had to take into account the position of the visitors to avoid controversy. After all, ethnicity and culture are sensitive issues. The content explores the question, “Is what we think of as tradition traditional?” When interpreting traditions from one's perspective, it is easy to borrow from other cultures, so it is important to make sure that each ethnic group is respected to perfectly demonstrate Taiwan's diversity. In addition, there is the digitization of national treasures. Digitalization requires a great deal of historical verification and investigation to ensure the accuracy of the content. The team went through many discussions and adjustments to present the diverse cultural content.

Sustainability

The exhibition emphasized inter-ethnic and multi-cultural connections, while at the same time focusing on sustainability. The team used recyclable materials to build the set, such as tables, chairs, and a stage, as well as digitizing artifacts and historical content. The digitization of artifacts and historical content facilitates touring exhibitions and saves resources to achieve the SDGs.

The theme of “Multiple Dialogues of People” was constantly emphasized, advocating that a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society should seek more connections and creativity rather than merely proclaiming its uniqueness and traditions. The liberalization and diversification of Taiwanese society in recent years have made neglected, oppressed, and marginalized ethnic groups visible and audible, and have allowed living experiences and cultural values that cannot be easily categorized and defined to challenge the inherent rules and order. With this concept in mind, the exhibition presented the diversity of Taiwan's culture. Digitalization and sustainable materials provide a sustainable model for future exhibitions.