From Green Island to Taipei, cities and towns nationwide feature works of art in public places. Though most may not rank as masterpieces, academic Lin Chih-ming (林志銘) has decided to tell their stories.
Rather than focusing on the works themselves, Lin zeroed in on the stories behind 15 public installations, recently publishing a book showing how for many artists or communities, the artworks have an emotional attachment.
“This is only the beginning of a series of books I am planning to publish in the hope of promoting the beauty of Taiwan,” said Lin, the president of the Educational Development Association for Public Art.
One of the 15 public works featured in Lin’s book is a playground slide set called the Green Island Elephant, which was originally a fixture on a local elementary school playground for about 23 years.
AUCTION
The slide was put up for auction on the Taitung County Government’s Web site last year. It was bought for NT$900 by young Taitung native Lee Meng-fa (李孟發), who transformed it into a public work of art, Lin wrote.
Lee worked with students of Taitung Gungguan Primary School to paint the slide, turning it into a landmark piece of public art, Lin said.
With the help of a government subsidy, Lee recorded the process and asked the students what the elephant in the art work meant to them.
“I hope the elephant will take me on a train trip,” some answered, while others hoped for “the elephant to take me to travel the world.”
Lin said their responses made clear to him their strong desire to see the outside world, so he decided at the beginning of this year to take them on trips to Tainan and Kaohsiung.
More stories emerged during their trips, and the elephant and students became ambassadors of the county, Lin said.
Another story in the book describes a public artwork called Bigpow designed by artist Akibo Lee (李明道). The robot-like figure catches the eyes of children whenever they pass by it in a park near the Zhongshan MRT Station in Taipei City.
CATHARSIS
The work had a cathartic effect on the artist, he said, especially of the ups and downs he has experienced in his career and marriage, because his art became a bridge between him and his two sons.
“Through these stories, public artwork will no longer seem like cold statues, but will actually convey emotion,” Lin said.
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