An exhibition highlighting the struggles of economically disadvantaged people in Taipei opened on Thursday at the Bopiliao Historic Block (剝皮寮歷史街區) in Wanhua District (萬華).
The exhibition, run jointly by eight non-profit organizations, is spread over three exhibition spaces: one highlighting homeless people’s stories, one housing workshops and another exploring discussion topics related to low-income households, the organizers said.
Some of the items on display in the story space include a wheelchair similar to the kind used by people with physical disabilites who sell goods on the street, and a bicycle covered in plastic bags representing homeless people who carry their few personal belongings with them in bags tied to bicycles, they said.
Signs at the exhibition share the words of homeless people who are forced to make difficult decisions in their lives, they added.
One homeless woman surnamed Hsu (徐), who shared her story with the organizers, said she was forced to leave her home due to domestic violence.
Her husband regularly beat her until one day he took the family’s savings and left, after which her son began acting violently toward her, she said.
Facing the situation, she made the difficult decision to live on the streets, Hsu said.
“Some would say it was a senseless decision, but I feel free living on the street away from the fetters of ‘home,’” she said.
In the workshop space, participants in the exhibition use means other than words to express themselves and share their stories, the organizers said.
An installation featuring 10 beer bottles represents homelessness resulting from alcoholism, they said, adding that people represented by the bottles are not prepared to face the future or their emotions.
“It is important to note that the people represented in this exhibition are not only economically challenged, but they also face emotional, social and health-related challenges,” they said.
One section features student items, including a desk, stationery and test papers, to express the psychological struggles faced by students who fail to live up to their family’s expectations, such as in their career choices, the organizers said.
Another exhibition explores difficulties that working adults might face as a result of their financial, family or work situations, which could result in them making difficult decisions that could lead to homelessness, they said.
The exhibition aims to explore the issues from a perspective different from social preconceptions, the organizers said.
An interactive exhibit challenges visitors to connect ropes of different lengths to nails on a wall. The nails represent common expenses, such as food, entertainment, rent, healthcare and insurance, while the ropes represent different levels of income.
Hopefully, visitors to the exhibition will better understand homeless people and their needs, which are not all financial needs, the organizers said.
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