Fully Loaded

Tainan – New York 2017

《大船入港》2017臺南-紐約對飛計劃

Exchange residency program and exhibition

July 20, 2017 – September 10, 2017

Opening Reception: Wednesday  July 26, 2017
6:00 – 9:00 pm

at Pfizer Building
630 Flushing Ave, Brooklyn, NY 1120

“Fully loaded” references fishing boats returning to port heavily laden, and thus by extension the traditional livelihoods of an island people. It also alludes to the well-rounded culture of those inhabiting that island.

Like New Amsterdam, Tainan in the 17th century was an outpost of Dutch influence. While the Dutch colonized all of Taiwan from 1624 to 1662, their capital there was Tainan, and to this day several forts from that era survive in the city and memorialize Dutch sway.  Dutch rule over New York stretched from 1609 to 1667. And like New York, Tainan is a port.

The various artists included in this exhibition reflect different aspects of the culture of Tainan or New York, generating snapshots growing out of life experience. In addition to other stresses, they react to fissures between male and female, between Taoist folk religion on the one hand and science and technology on the other, and the ever-present strains between rural and urban life.