Yun Lee and Stephanie Pan in collaboration with Wei-Chieh Shih
Part of Double Echo of Time exhibition curated by Wen Chin Fu
In a search to understand the world around us, we create and tell stories. Whether factual or completely mythological, these stories form the basis of our personal and collective lore, defining our identities and our place in the world. In this project, we dive into the lore around the brief history of Dutch Formosa from 1624 to 1668. What remains in the collective and individual consciousness of this often forgotten past?
As artists with ties to both Taiwan and the Netherlands, Stephanie Pan and Yun Lee were curious about these remnants and what they can tell us about who we are today. They collected stories from friends and family, locals and visitors, laymen and experts, from the Netherlands and Taiwan, to create this interactive archive.
This project is an oral cartography of memories and imaginations – tied to places, people, and words. Some of these stories compliment each other while others clash. Together, they weave a complex tapestry of multifaceted narratives. This installation takes the visual form of a large handwoven neural network that stores collective memories, family histories, myths, songs and chants patched and woven together, stories that are rarely written in history books.
You can hear these stories at the listening stations next to each Delft blue panel on the wall. Choose different stories by pinching and holding the different copper threads connected to each panel. Or, listen to different ghosts of memories within the neural network by touching the panel in the center of the installation. The Delft blue (Delftsblauw) panels on the walls feature visual motifs from the interviews, asking what would happen if the Dutch recorded what they saw when they landed in Formosa.
The installation is open from August 16 to December 16, 2024, at Soulangh Cultural Park, Tainan, Taiwan