The 2017 Taipei Landscape Public Art Project explored the dynamic changes of the urban body through a holistic perspective of the cityscape. Using landscape public art installations, thematic events, guided tours, and creative workshops, the project invited participants to reflect on the relationship between rivers and the city. The exhibition featured three temporary landscape public art installations created by local and international artists, incorporating local characteristics and the river theme. The installations offered visually striking works that told the stories of the Shilin district, and were presented along Jihe Road, spanning Meilun Park and Chengde Park.
Later, following the organizer’s request, the original illustrated lightbox installation at Chengde Park was relocated to Meilun Park, and a new set of two lightbox installations was added to Chengde Park, creating a different visual experience at each location.
Installation One: Hearing a River
The bright orange-red giant squid, Kraki, is an interactive sound art installation created by the art collective Moradavaga specifically for Meilun Park. The work draws inspiration from late 13th-century marine legends, which inspired Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick and Jules Verne’s classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Italian designer Manfred Eccli and Portuguese designer Pedro Cavaco Leitao applied principles of sound conduction to allow visitors to transmit voices and messages through tentacle-like water pipes, with signals received by the squid’s head. The installation simulates Kraki diving through imaginary river channels, resonating with the flow of the old Keelung River and connecting visitors of all ages, spreading the memory of the river throughout the park.
Artist Background: Moradavaga (from the Portuguese term for “blurred address”) consists of two architects, Manfred Eccli and Pedro Cavaco Leitao. Since 2006, they have focused on abandoned spaces, public interventions, and site-specific works, producing installations that remain dormant until activated by human interaction. Their works integrate architecture, art, and design, serving as “static tools” that invite public engagement.
Installation Two: The Sweet Taste of the River
Taiwanese artist Chen Yi-Chang transformed common water toys such as swim rings and float balls into playful, sweet-themed donuts and candies, scattered across the lawn at the entrance of Meilun Park. With vibrant candy-colored hues and inviting designs, the installation allows both children and adults to sit, lean, and interact while enjoying a sensory experience that blends the coolness of water with the joy of summer. The work encourages participants to explore the memory of the old river channel while celebrating art in the summertime.
Artist Background: Chen Yi-Chang, a professional sculptor from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, often incorporates “inflatable elements” into his work. These objects can act as symbols, physical accents, or interactive features, fostering closer engagement between his art and the audience.
Installation Three: The Story of a River
Illustrator Wu Xin-Zhi explored the Shilin district to uncover its local stories, using an observational perspective to depict subtle, everyday moments over time. The work took the form of illustrated lightbox installations that traced the old Keelung River and its surrounding environment along Jihe Road. The winding lightbox panels evoke the river’s historical transformations, from riverside suspension bridges and flood memories to channel straightening projects and eventual urban development. Visitors can follow the illustrated boy and his dog, tracing the river’s evolution from a living waterway to newly developed land, observing the accompanying changes in local life.
Artist Background: Wu Xin-Zhi, originally from Tainan, Taiwan, is an illustrator and picture book creator. She graduated from National Cheng Kung University with a degree in foreign languages and holds a master’s in children’s book illustration from Cambridge School of Art, UK. Wu works in mixed media—including dip pens, water brushes, gouache, and colored pencils—and co-founded Slower Studio, which promotes experimental illustration courses while continuing her own creative practice.
