1館

＂福爾摩沙位於北回歸線上，在東經120.75度至122.25度，北緯21.5475度之間。東岸大約有40荷里長，西岸有50荷里長。北端有8荷里寬，南端只有4荷里寬，中間則寬達18至19荷里。周長大約在130至140荷里之間。但也有人說只有3度長。＂
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　——甘為霖英譯《荷蘭時代的福爾摩沙》

　　自15世紀起航海技術與製圖術的進步展開了歷史上前所未有的大航海時代，帝國在海面上不斷交會，炮火軌跡穿梭在各大洋，循著地圖和香料氣味前往遠東，不斷拓展疆界。鹿皮、香料、蔗糖、瓷器，都是自大航海時代起帝國對熱帶遠東著迷的資源。福爾摩沙臺灣——漂浮在海上的珍珠，因為豐沛的資源和戰略位置，自古便有不同的帝國、商人、移民來來去去，殖民者帶著他們相對成熟的技術優勢來到了遠方，在各個物產豐饒的島嶼與當地原住民相遇、建立經濟生產體系。

　　島上的自然資源在殖民者佔領領後，開始有了初步的產業化，例如荷蘭東印度公司（Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie，簡稱VOC）在臺灣建立起糖廍的雛形、或與平埔族群交易，一年出口可達十萬張的梅花鹿皮，再到後續殖民者發展的樟腦、林業、茶等等。人類循著資源遷徙，建造了新的社會體系，殖民者在新的土地上帶來新的種子，促使了新舊物種的消長。荷蘭人於1624年佔領臺灣並建造熱蘭遮堡，在建堡400年後的今日，本展的象徵意義不僅是再次思考殖民政權侵略帶來的影響，也是持續的打開心胸來發掘、瞭解與想像當時文化、物種與資源的交流。透過回望歷史來檢視當代，藉由藝術作品的表達，反思現今臺灣後殖民的社會樣貌、日趨緊張的地緣政治、區域戰爭之危機、與資源分配等當代議題。

　　策展以「荷蘭東印度公司」於1624年建造的熱蘭遮堡為發想的起點，透過其可以實施外交、發動戰爭，具有國家性質的商業公司之殖民與貿易本質為問題意識之發想原點，聚焦「貿易」、「戰爭」、「航海」、「殖民」、「後殖民」、「地圖」、「植物與物種遷徙」等關鍵字上。

　　展覽分布在1館展覽室B到G、2館的展覽室A到D同期展出，不同子題之間有彼此共享的關懷，也因為不同作品的組合對話，延伸出更多議題。1館「沃克來了」與「遭遇與共生」兩個子題，作品表現圍繞在VOC的侵略、貿易與航海等議題上，以及物種和時代的交會與時代樣貌的想像。希望透過藝術家的作品折射出更多觀看我們所處之地的方式，跳脫框架，才能聆聽到這塊土地更多有趣的故事。

2館

　　殖民者（帝國）用自己的觀點和語言來描述陌生的他者，在他們眼中這些來自陽光水源之地的資源孕育了他們母國所需的一切，海岸的消長、船隻與商人的不斷來去，拓展了帝國的邊界，某程度來說，帝國的邊界是按照他們所帶來的資源所能落地生根的最邊界而定。

＂橫渡的行動從來不是順暢無阻的。文化交流會帶來多麼豐碩的成果，就有多危險。....
海洋的歷史勢必會遇到邊界的問題，不管是海與陸地之間的邊界、淡水與鹹水之間的邊界，或是形成大洋的不同海域之間的邊界；從這個問題來看，「其他所有東西都是浮動的」。＂
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　——蘇尼爾‧阿姆瑞斯《橫渡孟加拉灣》

　　不斷在海上移動的商船、軍隊、海盜們，經由他們航行的目的各有不同，將遠東的各個城市以不同的關聯性串連起來，拓樸出政治和國族定義之外的各種地圖樣貌。如同地緣政治或者殖民歷史的關係，讓臺灣被賦予不同的角色和戰略位置，從臺灣出發，或者從他方向臺灣航行的外來者，他們都用自己的生命經驗寫出了不同的故事。大航海時代開啟了人類史上重要的疆域流動，除了經濟的貿易戰爭之外，也因為不同種族人的相遇，編織出更多混血的故事。

　　荷蘭東印度公司（Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie，簡稱VOC）於1624年佔領臺灣並建造熱蘭遮堡，在建堡400年後的今日，本展的象徵意義不僅是再次思考殖民政權侵略帶來的影響，也是持續的打開心胸來發掘、瞭解與想像當時文化、物種與資源的交流。透過回望歷史來檢視當代，藉由藝術作品的表達，反思現今臺灣後殖民的社會樣貌、日趨緊張的地緣政治、地區戰爭之危機、與資源分配等當代議題。

　　本展以荷蘭東印度公司於1624年建造的熱蘭遮堡為歷史時間點，透過其可以實施外交、發動戰爭，具有國家性質的商業公司之殖民與貿易本質為問題意識之發想原點，具焦探討「貿易」、「戰爭」、「航海」、「殖民」、「後殖民」、「地圖」、「植物與物種遷徙」等關鍵字上。

　　本展覽分布在1館展覽室B到G、2館的展覽室A到D同期展出，不同子題之間有彼此共享的關懷，也因為不同作品的組合對話，延伸出更多議題。相同架構下，相對於1館，2館子題「海怪的影子」、「他們到我們」、「熱蘭遮的海風」，主要著重於隱喻與喚醒臺灣的當代地緣戰爭狀態、臺灣離開殖民時代後對物種與物產的詮釋轉換，以及以當下的時空去回望曾經在這片土地上的人的故事，見證這塊島嶼的多元文化。

指導單位︱臺南市政府
主辦單位︱臺南市美術館
贊助單位︱泓德能源科技股份有限公司
特別感謝︱國立臺灣歷史博物館、臺東美術館、奇美博物館、双方藝廊、台灣松下電器、洪建全基金會、國巨基金會、新思惟人文空間、藍瓦空間、財團法人台北市樺霖文化藝術基金會、藝非凡美術館
唯一指定擬真藝屏︱友達光電 

Building 1

"Formosa lies within the Tropic of Cancer, and extends from 120° 7 ½’ to 122° ¼’ east longitude, and from 21° 54 ¾’ to 25° 18 ½’ north latitude, being about forty miles long on the east side, and fifty on the west. At the northern end, it is eight miles broad, only four miles at the south, and eighteen or nineteen in the middle part; its whole circumference amounting to between one hundred and thirty to one hundred and forty miles. Some, however, state that it is only three degrees long."

——Rev. William Campbell, Formosa under the Dutch: Described from Contemporary Records[1]

Since the advancement of nautical technology and cartography in the 15^th century, the world had ushered in the Age of Discovery in history. Empires encountered constantly on the sea, and crossfires took place across different waters, following maps and scents of spices into the Far East and expanding their territories. Deerskin, spices, sugar, and porcelain were all resources from the tropical Far East, fascinatedly sought after by empires. Due to her ample resources and strategic location, Formosa (Taiwan), reputed “the pearl on the sea,” saw empires, merchants, and migrants come and go since centuries ago. Colonizers arrived in the faraway places with the advantage of relatively matured technology, encountered the indigenous people inhabiting the island of abundance, and subsequently created economic and production systems.

After the colonizer occupied Formosa, the natural resources on the island entered an initial stage of industrialization, for instance, the prototypical sugar refinery built by the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC, or the Dutch East India Company); the sika deerskin sourced from the Plain Indigenous People, of which the exported number reached 100,000 pieces per year; and various industries developed by the colonizer, including the camphor, forestry, and tea industries. Humans migrated for resources, and then built new social systems. Colonizer brought with them seeds of new species to newfound lands, and facilitated the growth of new species and the disappearance of the old. The Dutch occupied Taiwan in 1624 and subsequently built the Fort Zeelandia. Today, after four hundred years since the establishment of the fort, the symbolic meaning of this exhibition is no longer to re-examine the influence of the invader’s colonial regime, but instead to open-mindedly unearth, comprehend, and re-imagine the exchange of culture, species, and resources at the time. Through examining the contemporary time by reviewing history, the expression of the artworks featured in this exhibition enables us to reflect on a range of contemporary topics, including the post-colonial society of Taiwan, the increasingly intensified concern over geopolitics, the crisis of regional warfare, and the allocation of resources.

This curatorial project starts with the Fort Zeelandia built by the VOC in 1624. Through the problematic revolving around the colonization and trade by this state-run commercial company – one that was able to carry out diplomatic actions and launch violent wars – this exhibition concentrates on the exploration of several keywords, including “trade,” “war,” “marine navigation,” “colonization,” “post-colonial,” “map,” and “plants and species migration.”

The exhibition is on view at Galleries B to G of the Tainan Art Museum Building 1 and Galleries A to D of the Tainan Art Museum Building 2. The different subtopics have similar points of attention, and the combination of and dialogue between various artworks also extend into more discussion-worthy topics. At Building 1, the artworks featured in the first two subtopics, “Here Comes the VOC” and “Encounter and Coexistence,” revolve around the VOC’s invasion, trade, marine navigation, the encounter between species and history, and the imagination of the bygone eras. It is hoped that the works of the artists can refract into more perspectives of viewing this island that we inhabit, allowing us to move beyond existing frameworks and listen to more intriguing stories about this land.

[1] Campbell, William. Formosa under the Dutch: Described from Contemporary Records. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co. Ltd., 1903. ( (https://archive.org/details/cu31924023514403/page/n9/mode/2up?view=theater) )

Building 2

Colonizers (empires) described unfamiliar others using their perspectives and languages. In their eyes, resources from these lands of sunlight and water formed a nurturing source that satisfied the needs of their homelands. As coasts changed, and ships and merchants arrived and left, the borders of empires were expanded. To a certain extent, imperial borders were defined by the resources brought by ships and merchants and the farthest lands that they could reach.

"Crossings were never smooth. Cultural encounters were dangerous as often as they were productive….Any history of an ocean must confront the questions of boundaries—between sea and land, between fresh water and salt, between the seas that make up an ocean; from that question “all others flow.”"
——Sunil S. Amrith, Crossing the Bay of Bengal.[1]

Merchant ships, navy fleets, and pirates moved constantly in the sea. Their voyages, conducted for dissimilar purposes, linked cities in the Far East through different connections, mapping out various parts of the world beyond political and national definitions. Meanwhile, due to geopolitics or colonial history, Taiwan was given different roles and a strategic location. Starting from Taiwan, or sailing to the island from other places,  foreigners had composed diverse stories with their life experiences. The Age of Discovery opened up a crucial period of flowing borders in human history. In addition to trade wars launched for economic reasons, the encounter of different races also wove and produced more stories of mixing races.

The Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC, or the Dutch East India Company), occupied Taiwan in 1624 and subsequently built the Fort Zeelandia. Today, after four hundred years since the establishment of the fort, the symbolic meaning of this exhibition is no longer to re-examine the influence of the invader’s colonial regime, but instead to open-mindedly unearth, comprehend, and re-imagine the exchange of culture, species, and resources at the time. Through examining the contemporary time by reviewing history, the expression of artworks featured in this exhibition enables us to reflect on a range of contemporary topics, including the post-colonial society of Taiwan, the increasingly intensified concern over geopolitics, the crisis of regional warfare, and the allocation of resources.

The exhibition starts with the Fort Zeelandia built by the VOC in 1624. Through the problematic revolving around the colonization and trade by this state-owned commercial company – one that was able to carry out diplomatic actions and launch violent wars – this exhibition concentrates on the exploration of several keywords, including “trade,” “war,” “marine navigation,” “colonization,” “post-colonial,” “map,” and “plants and species migration.”

The exhibition is on view at Galleries B to G of the Tainan Art Museum Building 1 and Galleries A to D of the Tainan Art Museum Building 2. The different subtopics share similar points of attention, and the combination of and dialogue between various works also extend into more discussion-worthy topics. With the same framework, comparing to the subtopics on view at Building 1, the subtopics showcased at Building 2 – “The Shadow of Sea Monsters,” “From Them to Us,” and “The Sea Breeze of Zeelandia,” focus on utilizing a metaphorical approach to highlight the contemporary state of geopolitical warfare concerning Taiwan, the changing interpretations of species and commodities in Taiwan after the colonial period, as well as the retrospection of stories regarding the past inhabitants of this island from the present time, engaging the audience to collectively witness the diverse culture that has enriched this island.

[1] Amrith, Sunil S. Crossing the Bay of Bengal: The Furies of Nature and the Fortunes of Migrants. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard UP, 2013, p. 28-9.

Supervisor︱Tainan City Government
Organizer︱ Tainan Art Museum
Sponsor︱HD Renewable Energy Co., Ltd.
Special Thanks︱National Museum of Taiwan History, Taitung Art Museum, Chimei Museum, Double Square Gallery, PanasonicTaiwan, Hong Foundation, YAGEO Foundation, Sincewell Gallery, Living Lab Gallery, Taipei Hua-Lin Funds Foundation of Culture and Arts, Mezzo Art
The Only Designated Product for High Fidelity ART Display provided by AUO Corporation

導覽手冊下載 Download the guidebook：「沃克．海怪．炮火及他們：熱蘭遮堡400年」導覽手冊.pdf

藝術家︱阿里安山・卡尼阿哥、吳其育、李立中、林純用、沈建龍、莫奴、馬寞路、萊昂‧布萊恩、張恩滿、張新丕、許家維、常陵、陳擎耀、曾琬婷、楊茂林、劉子平、劉芸怡、劉玗、鄧文貞、鄭亭亭、盧明德、霍凱盛、羅懿君

劉玗&吳思嶔、走路草農/藝團、吳其育&沈森森&致穎、陳怡如&蔡咅璟、張根耀&林盈潔、邱杰森&莫珊嵐、邱璽民&汪怡君

Artists︱Aliansyah Caniago, Wu Chi-yu, Lee Li-chung, Lin Chun-yung, Shen Jian-long, Lou Mo, mamoru, Léon Brunin, Chang En-man, Chang Sin-pi, Hsu Chia-wei, Chang Ling, Chen Ching-yao, Tseng Wan-ting, Yang Mao-lin, Liu Zi-ping, Liu Yun-yi, Liu Yu, Deng Wen-jen, Ting-Ting Cheng, Lu Ming-te, Eric Fok, Lo Yi-chun

Liu Yu & Wu Sih-chin, Walking Grass Agriculture, Wu Chi-yu & Shen Sum-sum & Musquiqui Chihying, Chen Yi-ru & Tsai Pou-ching, Chang Ken-yao & Lin Ying-chieh, Chiu Chieh-sen & Margot Guillemot, Chiu Hsi-ming & Nicole Wang

策展人︱陳湘汶、莊東橋

Curators︱Chen Hsiang-wen, Chuang Tong-chiao