Taitung County Government recently unveiled winners of the Austronesian International Arts Award, honoring artwork inspired by Taiwan’s aboriginal heritage and stunning scenery of the country’s southeastern coastline.
This year’s top prize, including NT$300,000 (US$10,000) in cash, went to Lin Chun-yung, an instructor at the Department of Interior Design of Kaohsiung City-based Tung Fang Design Institute.
Lin said his winning piece, a virtual archaeological project titled “Breakwaters Uncovered in Lalaulan Tribal Village,” is set 200 years from now. His inspiration came from personal observation of the county’s seashores over the years, and how they have become covered with concrete tetrapods to prevent erosion.
“The last time I visited Taitung more than a decade ago, I found the county’s beautiful beaches were filled with tetrapods, a scene quite different from what I remembered 30 years ago,” Lin said.
According to Lin, tetrapods are paradoxical structures, in that they are being used to preserve nature, but are themselves unnatural. He hopes his artwork will boost awareness of the environment and the crisis facing Taiwan’s coastlines.
The other two winning projects were “Weaving the Disappearing Time and Space” by Taiwan aboriginal artist Huang Jin-cheng and “Archipelago” by Mark Jackson from South Africa. The pair each received an excellence award and NT$100,000 in prize money. A total of seven more artworks received merit awards.
Organized by the county government, the biennial competition attracted 100 submissions this year from home and Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, South Africa and mainland China.
According to the organizer, all 10 pieces are on display at a special exhibition running through Aug. 31 at Taitung Fine Arts Museum, with the top three artworks set to join the facility’s permanent collection. (SFC-SDH)
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