ABOUT

Curatorial Philosophy

Since its inception in 2013, the Taoyuan Land Art Festival has broken the boundaries of traditional art museums with its landscape concept, allowing the public to engage closely with art. In 2023, in conjunction with the World Hakka Expo, the festival will take place in the Longtan and Zhongli Qingpu areas, where a significant Hakka population resides. The central theme of this edition is "Taoyuan Liā Liā" (a Hakka term meaning leisurely gathering, socializing, and enjoying oneself). Through local propositions, community collaboration, international and Taiwanese interactions, and the exploration of Hakka culture, the festival aims to shape cultural resonance with Liā culture, foster connections between the Hakka and Hakka culture, link the international community with Hakka people, and integrate Hakka culture with technology. This is the vision behind organizing this edition of the Land Art Festival.

For the first time, the main exhibition area of the Land Art Festival will be set in the old town district, extending from the Longtan Great Pond to the sports park. This area holds historical significance, dating back to the thirteenth year of the Qianlong era when the Xiaoli Canal was constructed to develop the Lingtan area. The large pond, built during the Qing Guangxu reign, was originally used for water regulation and irrigation. It marks the headwaters of the Laojie Creek, which flows through Longtan, Pingzhen, Zhongli, and Dayuan. In the early days, this area was inhabited by people from Fujian and Guangdong provinces, but due to poverty and scarce resources, many Fujian people migrated elsewhere, leaving only a small number assimilated into the Hakka community, turning Longtan into a settlement of Hakka people with Cantonese ancestry. Another exhibition area will be located at the main exhibition site of the World Hakka Expo in Qingpu, where installation art inspired by Hakka elements will be presented in public spaces.

The vicinity of the Longtan Great Pond is an old town area that has been developed for over three centuries. This edition of the Land Art Festival combines the rich cultural heritage of the Hakka people with the historical, environmental, lifestyle, and religious aspects of the area. Through multidimensional artistic creations, public participation, exhibitions, promotions of tangible and intangible cultural assets, community tours, and performances, the festival aims to reintroduce the simple aesthetic beauty of everyday life in the old town district from an aesthetic and diverse perspective.

 
Exhibition information