Project Overview

In Taiwan, Hakka, Indigenous, Pepohoan, and other ethnic groups live closely. Exchanges between ethnic groups not only shaped the local multicultural landscape but also left many wonderful stories. The special exhibition " Dialogue between Liugdui Indigenous & Hakka Costume Patterns" takes the Liudui area as the core and leads the public into the rich history of the Liudui Hakka, Paiwan, Rukai, Taivoan, and Makatao. The production shapes, embroidery techniques, and patterns on the costumes of the Indigenous and Hakka groups present their unique meanings, as well as the cultural impact after contact.

Through the display of various costumes, the exhibition allows everyone to see the diverse cultures of the groups and the close exchanges between them. In addition to being a wonderful cultural feast, it also represents cultural inheritance. The public has the opportunity to get a closer look at the costume culture of the Indigenous and Hakka. The ethnic concept displayed has also attracted many young people to engage in related work, learn traditional techniques, and integrate them into contemporary design techni

Organisation

Taiwan Hakka Culture Development Center, Hakka Affairs Council

Team

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

Project Brief

Clothing records the history and migration trajectories of various ethnic groups. In addition to showing the artist's aesthetics and weaving and embroidery skills, patterns also contain cultural connotations of different ethnic groups, regions, occasions, or social classes, and serve as a vital symbol of ethnic identification.

This exhibition takes "shirt" as the theme and "thread" as the main visual. Because clothing comprises countless intertwined lines, it also cleverly connects clothing and visual art. The butterfly patterns used by the Hakka, Paiwan, Rukai, Taivoan, and Makatao people carry completely different meanings.

Clothing raw materials have evolved from bark and animal skins collected from nature to today's cotton, witnessing the changes of the times. Craftsmen of all ethnic groups are faced with challenges such as technological gaps and creations that continue traditions and re-translate them in the current times. It is through the hard work of these craftsmen that more people can see the different future of Liudui Indigenous and Hakka costumes.

Project Need

●Response to history:
The exhibition area extends the main visual through Taiwan County Highway 185, leading the audience to embark on this road carrying a historical track. In the past, the County Highway was the only way for Liudui Hakka, Pepohoan, and indigenous people to carry out trade and transportation. On the main line in the center of the exhibition area, one can see that the word "shirt" is presented in the pinyin of five languages: Hakka, Paiwan, Rukai, Taivoan, and Makatao. The thread pattern stretches into Taiwan County Highway 185, telling a moving story of intermarriage, trade, and other exchanges integrated into the clothing patterns.

●Meaning of Patterns:
Butterfly is a clothing pattern commonly used by both indigenous and Hakka groups, but it has different meanings. In Hakka culture, it symbolizes longevity, while in Indigenous culture, it represents speed, agility, or bravery. The exhibition connects the clothing culture of various ethnic groups through the imagery of threads and butterflies. If one looks closely at the cultural relics on display, one can appreciate the exquisite embroidery and weaving techniques on the costumes of various ethnic groups, as well as the colorful visuals presented by different colors.

Design Challenge

The study of Hakka culture and Indigenous culture is an important contemporary topic. It is not easy to fully interpret their meaning. In the early stage, the curatorial team constructed an understanding of Hakka and Indigenous costume pattern culture through extensive reading of books and in-depth fieldwork. They also conduct dialogues with local Hakka and neighboring Indigenous groups and integrate this valuable local knowledge into the exhibition. The final result is recognized. Moreover, the preservation of cultural relics is also a big challenge. Cultural relics from a century ago must be strictly controlled in terms of humidity and temperature to ensure their sustainable preservation.

Sustainability

In this exhibition, everything from cultural relics to the venue can be reused. For example, display cabinets have constant temperature and constant humidity functions to accommodate exhibits made of various materials. They can be reused to display other cultural relics made of different materials.

Ancestors used bark, ramie, cotton, and other plant fibers to weave clothes, and used plant dyes to give them colors, demonstrating the concept of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. The exhibition showcases early costumes that have influenced the present day. Fashion designers draw inspiration from the wisdom of early residents and use natural materials and plant dyes to create clothing, echoing the concept of sustainable fashion that takes from nature and returns to nature. Compared with modern chemical dyes, plant dyeing is not only more environmentally friendly but also can show a soft texture. This exhibition showcases the clothing craftsmanship of ancestors and also allows the audience to reflect on the impact of the modern clothing industry on the environment, and to think about how to coexist with nature more sustainably.