Pacific Islanders do not see their homeland as some scattered dots in a vast ocean but as stage stations in a “Sea of Islands,” created through their practices (travel, visitation, trade, and migration), both old and new. …The “Sea of Islands” is a region connected via outside while articulating inward; a discrete place where islands link to one other and the mainland, based on daily practices.

—————-James Clifford
 

Perhaps because of its seaside location, after having organized for eight consecutive years,  the “East Coast Land Arts Festival” is often referred to as “Taiwan’s Setouchi International Art Festival.”

However, the East Coast of Taiwan and islands in Seto Naikai (瀬戸内海) of Japan are very different in calendar solar terms, cultures, history, current situations, and attitudes responding to the world. Tomiro Kitagawa, the father of the Japanese Land Arts Festival, said, “Seto Naikai is like a mother’s womb to the Japanese islands. The tranquil ocean provides overflowing nutrition and energy.” However, due to the recent impact of industrialization and globalization, the Seto Neikai islands’ population has decreased because of the residents’ relocation and aging, and its vitality has gradually faded since. In order to revitalize the islands of the Seto Naikai and reconnect its unique island cultures, the region was reframed as the “Sea of Hope” as the first annual Seto Naikai International Arts Festival was created in 2010 with the core proposition of the ” Restoration of Oceanic Power” for its rebirth and regaining of value.

Although the East Coast Land Arts Festival also aims to serve as a bridge between travelers, visitors, and local residents through organizing art festival, our curatorial themes in the past have been continuously stemmed from the natural environment and the diverse cultures brought together by local indigenous peoples and new immigrants around the world, as we have repeatedly articulated the spirit of an oceanic culture that has been perpetually neglected by the island nation of Taiwan. In contrast to the cultural revival of the islands in Japan, our prospective on oceanic discourse is akin to the Pan-Pacific Islander’s vision of “Ocean of Islands” — such difference lies in how we view the ocean from the island/ view ourselves through the connection and fluidity of the sea amidst numerous islands.

Taiwan, an island of mountains, consisted of a cluster of peaks above the sea, located in an ocean that embraces and links up each mountain and scattered island. However, the sea that embraces the mountainous island is neither calm nor quiet but impressively rapid. Known as the highway of the sea, Kuroshio Current circulates and transports many migratory organisms of the Pacific Ocean, including humans.

Many historians agree that “the 21st century is the Pacific Century.” From the Taiwan-centered perspective, Taiwan is the center of Oceanic Asia – located in the middle of the ocean amidst China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. It is also the origin of the Austronesian languages. But center or peripheral is a relative term; in reality, the real Taiwan is just a member of the “Ocean of Islands.” There is no doubt that Taiwan is connected to the world through the ocean. The East Coast of Taiwan is the first to shine as the sun and moon rise over the frontier, where the island of mountains facing the ocean of islands. This connection to the world through the ocean has become more significant when people face travel restrictions as the world locks down and borders close due to the pandemic. We recognize the ocean’s mighty power that surpasses national boundaries and offers protection, inclusiveness, and solidarity as we continuously confirm our position in an ever-changing fluid world.

【Relevant Rules】       

• 2022 Creative Theme “Island of Mountains, Ocean of Islands”
• We will select six groups of domestic and international artists for the 2022 residency program based on the submissions. In order to allow the artists sufficient time to acclimate to the East Coast life and creative ambiance, the result of resident artists of 2022 will be finalized in mid-2021. The selected artists are required to participate in related activities such as the Moonlight Concerts, Open Studio, Artist Forum… etc.
• In order to promote a tight connection between artist residency and the local natural and cultural elements of the East Coast, artists are especially encouraged to submit projects in collaboration with the local communities on-site.
• Living on the East Coast of Taiwan, the impact of climate change, depletion of fish stocks, and drastic increase of ocean waste can be brutal. Artists are encouraged to propose creative proposals concerning local observation and media conversion issues in response to the drastic global environmental changes.
• The actual residency program lasts at least 30-45 days, and the artist must complete the artwork by June 1, 2022.
• The total production budget is NT$300,000 (including tax).

【Organizers】

• Chief Organizer: East Coast National Scenic Area, Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communication
• Organizer: Taitung Dawn Artist Village

【Eligibility and Application Method】

Artists of all nationalities are welcome. Individuals or groups familiar with the East Coast of Taiwan’s natural and cultural context and skillful in using natural materials are especially encouraged to apply.

• Submission Info

1. Application
2. Related artwork (including description and graphic illustrations) and biography
3. Residency Proposal (including creative concept, design dimension, materials, technologies, operative methods, and timetables; design illustration must include image references of the installation integrated on the proposed site with either 3D model graphics, handmade drawings, models, etc.)
4. Budge List (including various costs in design, labor, staff, materials, tools, transportation, food and accommodation, etc., maximum $300,000 NTD after-tax).
5. Please provide eight bounded copies of the above application and one digital copy on USB storage.

• Submission Methods

1. Special delivery or registered mail is acceptable before the deadline of 17:00 Tuesday, June 15, 2021. No late applications will be processed. (The application’s delivery is based on the East Coast Administration Office’s receipt stamp. Please be sure the application arrives within the deadline.)

2. Recipient: Hu Xiuwei. East Coast National Scenic Area Administration Office, Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications

(Please specify “2022 East Coast Land Arts Festival Residency Application)

Address: No. 25, Xincun Rd. Xinyi Village, Chenggong Township, Taitung County, 96144, Taiwan

Phone: （089）841520#1308

Please check the East Coast National Scenic Area Administration, Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications website https://www.eastcoast-nsa.gov.tw or the event website www.teclandart.tw for details and downloads.

【Installation Sites】

Artists will install the finished artwork within the East Coast Scenic Administration’s jurisdiction (the 168 kilometers coastline from the mouth of Hualien River in the north to Xiaoyeliu Scenic Area in the south), including Hualien Visitor Center, Yanliao’s Bridge No. 12, Fanshuliao Recreation Area, Dawan Recreation Area, Stone Terrace (Shitiping) Recreation Area, Jingpu Village, Baxian Cave Recreation Area, Old Changhong Bridge, Chicao Bridge Recreation Area, Stone Umbrella (Shiyusan) Recreation Area, Chenggong Seaside Park, Sanxiantai Recreation Area, Duli Park, Jinzun Recreation Area, Water Running Up Recreation Area, Kamuzi Bay Recreation Area, Zhu Bridge Recreation Area, County Boundary (Junjie) Recreation Area, and Xiaoyeliu Scenic Area. The organizer reserves the right to artistic and spatial adjustment.
 

【Selection Rubric】

• Members of the Selection Committee will include experts and scholars familiar with the context of the East Coast artistic and natural environment and the chief organizer.
• Evalution Weighting:Installation’s integration with the environment 30%Installation’s originality 30%Compatibility with the event’s central theme 20%
• Feasibility of the proposed installation 20%
• The finalists will be announced by June 30, 2021 (subject to actual evaluation).
• After announcing the finalists, the organizer will immediately follow up with contract signing and artist residency procedures.

【Description of Artist’s Rights and Obligations】

• The organizer shall determine the installation’s final execution and location after a thorough consultation with the hosts and the artists.

• For those sites of installation or workshop located in local villages or communities, before the artists start working, they must cooperate with the organizer to hold “art residency meetings” to communicate and collaborate with local residents.

• Artists who participated in residency can invite assistants. And the costs in food, lodging, insurance, and tax that all relevant personnel rendered, including the artists themselves, should be at their own expense.

• The artists should use their own tools to create artworks, while the organizer will provide a pop-up structure on-site.

• The maximum amount for each artwork, including various costs in design, labor, staff, materials, tools, transportation, food, and lodging, is $300,000 NTD.

• Suppose the artwork is too different from the proposal or cannot be completed due to personal reasons. In that case, the organizer and hosts will evaluate before determining the disqualification of artists. The artists must return all related costs in art production and event participation.

• Artists must cooperate with the organizer in related events, including “Artistic Creativity Forum,” “Artistic Creation Concept and Promotion Conference,” “Art Festival Opening Event,” “National Press Conference,” and “Video Production” while assisting in marketing and promotion activities.
• The invited artists will sign a residency contract of three copies with the host organization.
• Artists will be required to carry out a 45-day residency based on their pre-determined proposals. They must be working on-site for a minimum of 30 days.

• The host organizer will discuss with the selected artists in advance to have two artworks in collaboration with participants of the “East Coast Land Arts Festival Volunteer Training Program.” Details of activities and schedules will be discussed and determined by both the artists and the host.

• The host organizer will cover artists’ costs in producing the artworks. Taiwanese artists should be responsible for their transportation and accommodation. As for the international artists, the organizer will arrange their transportation, lodging, and instantaneous interpretation.

• Artwork Ownership: The creator owns the moral rights of the work. The finished artwork must be exhibited at the specified location for at least 180 days. The artwork’s ownership belongs to the East Coast Scenic Area Administration Office who gets to determine whether to remove or preserve the artwork after the exhibition. Host organization owns the rights to use the image and footage of artwork in research, photography, duplication, and authorization for related products, publications, and promotional materials.

• The artists must be ready to cope with the encountering of typhoons during the production period by suspending work or evacuating from the site. During the exhibition period, the artists should take precautionary measures to deal with weather or human-made damages to repair the artwork. A warranty period will be included in the contract, and 5% of the total production budget will be withheld for 180 days after the completion of the work, which will later be released to the artist after passing the warranty inspection.

 

    【Contact Us】

Wu Shu-Lun:  E-mail：wusulun@gmail.com    phone：0926314951

　【Related Dates】

• Deadline for application: June 15, 2021 (Tuesday) 17:00
• Result Announcement: June 30, 2021 (depending on the actual evaluation process)
• Artist-in-Residency Forum: August 1 – September 30 (tentative)
• Artist-in-Residency: Before June 1, 2022
• Artwork Exhibition Date: Starts on June 1, 2022