When art leaves the museum, the relationship between art, space, and the public becomes full of possibilities! In 2013, we experienced the cultural and artistic vibrancy of the Land Art Festival. This year, set against the unique landscape of the Navy Taoyuan Base, accompanied by sunlight, adventure, exploration, and hands-on experiences, Taoyuan will once again showcase the city through land art, inviting everyone to explore the space and feel its charm.
For this purpose, we use the vast base as a venue, introducing internationally renowned installation art, reconstructing local depth, recreating collective memory, strengthening Taoyuan’s regional characteristics, and spreading the city’s vitality and enthusiasm.
The curatorial concept of this year’s festival can be divided into four main aspects:
1. Using art as a medium, integrating it into the local space and time
Let the natural environment, historical context, and art interact and engage in dialogue, raising awareness of ecology and geography. Through art intervention, existing resources are activated, creating local practical possibilities within cultural activities. The dialogue between art and environment becomes a resource for sustainable development.
2. Multi-faceted cultural activities to build public participation
Internationally acclaimed artists’ installations, collective creation activities, art workshops, and various performances invite the public to enter the artistic space, build creative experiences, and feel aesthetic triggers. This fosters a shared sense of beauty while encouraging reflection on the relationship with the land.
3. Opening the Navy Taoyuan Base to highlight Taoyuan’s aviation culture
The military-use Navy Taoyuan Base is transformed into an exhibition venue open to the public. Outdoor art installations and dynamic/static cultural activities are combined with the unique landscape, such as the 3.6 km runway and aircraft shelters, showcasing aviation-specific human-made topography. Through public participation in the Land Art Festival, the unique local culture and charm of Taoyuan are highlighted.
4. Enhancing cultural life and connecting actively to the international stage
As Taoyuan ascends in administrative status, it is becoming a city rich in economic development and arts and culture. Through the “Taoyuan Land Art Festival,” the local military history and landscape are infused with international artistic energy, fostering originality and public engagement. By integrating environmental, historical, and cultural resources, art transforms space and elevates the cultural development framework.
Artists
Florentijn Hofman [Netherlands]
Born in 1977 in the Netherlands, Hofman became globally famous for his Rubber Duck installations. He inflates common children’s yellow rubber ducks and displays them in water bodies around the world, evoking the childlike innocence in everyone. In 2013, he participated in the first Taoyuan Land Art Festival. Hofman often creates works featuring familiar animals, using locally characteristic materials, scaling them up to capture viewers’ attention while also encouraging awareness of environmental protection, peace, and love.
Moon Rabbit
Year: 2014
Dimensions: 25.3 x 15.8 x 4.9 m
Materials: Tyvek waterproof paper, wood, polystyrene
Work Description:
I have always been fascinated by the legend of Chang’e and the Jade Rabbit, which inspired the creation of Moon Rabbit. The rabbit leans against an aircraft shelter, contemplating life while daydreaming, weaving its own real story. This work invites everyone to gather and dream together, spending beautiful moments under the moonlight.
