Island Project III
Home of the Brave 2017-2018
The third segment of The Island Project shifts the attention of “man-made” to Taiwan’s peculiar history, especially the 1950s and 1960s. The Nationalist government’s grand objective then was to recover mainland China by way of counterattack and to protect what was “left” of the land of Taiwan.
At the same time, the government attempted to increase farmland by land reclamation. Under that goal, Aogu Wetland, once a fishing village located at the mouth of Beigang River in Yunlin, became the new farmland that accommodated a military shooting range. At the end, the local fish farming industry led to groundwater overexploitation. In 1986, Typhoon Wayne caused saltwater intrusion in the area, and the land was eventually deemed unfarmable.
This incident shows that the government’s ambition was like a “mantis trying to stop a chariot” in Chinese saying, which means underestimating one’s opponent. In this case, the opponent was the overall political climate, as well as the force of nature.
Home of the Brave speaks to the powerlessness of humans as they face unmanageable forces and the irony of such situations.
The installation includes two main parts. The first is a time-lapse video of a defunct military facility in Aogu Wetland disappearing and reappearing in view as the tide comes and goes. The soundtrack mimics the singing of soldiers who once stationed there, but in a ghostly, haunted tone. The second part is the array of rocks covered with oyster shells and embedded with old photos of soldiers. The formation of the rocks imply soldiers standing in line for the evening roll call.
*This series was awarded the 2018 Kaohsiung Awards by the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts.
海島計畫 3－保國護土篇 2017-2018
海島計畫－〈保國護土篇〉將「人為」的概念聚焦至台灣歷史的特殊性。用單一地點－嘉義鰲鼓濕地－的水沒景觀，重述1950和60年代台灣政治的矛盾歷史。當時，國民政府既有「反攻大陸、保國護土」的雄心壯志，同時也為了增加農耕面積而開發海埔新生地，決心「開發台灣、與海爭地」。
北港溪口的鰲鼓濕地就此從一個傳統漁村，變成了軍事靶場和農場。最後卻因養殖業超抽地下水，在1986年韋恩颱風後被海水淹沒，土地鹽化之後再也無法進行農業耕作。此事件顯示政府為「保國護土」而施行的反攻復國大計，最終是螳臂擋車，難敵大時代（和大自然）的力量。
本系列以鰲鼓濕地空軍靶場觀測所的水沒景觀做成影片，結合嵌上軍人老照片、佈滿蚵殼的石頭所排列出的「軍隊晚點名」裝置作品，表現「人定，不一定能勝天」的荒謬與無奈。
*本系列榮獲高雄市立美術館2018年「高雄獎」。
藝術家創作自述：
雲、嘉、南沿海一帶是台灣地層下陷最為嚴重之區，每每經過，沿途總是會出現泡在海中的人為建物，如：碉堡、軍事設施、鹽場官舍…等。
看著這些已被廢棄的建築，彷彿每一座都在無聲地敘述著各自的故事：「雄壯！威武！嚴肅！」高亢的軍人答數聲，似乎穿越時空的幻影，一一浮現在腦海中。
當年軍人「反攻大陸、保國護土」的雄心壯志，以及為了增加農耕面積「開發海埔新生地、與海爭地」的決心，在歷經時間的淘洗後，無數人的青春如今只賸餘海上的廢墟，一切又重新回歸大自然！當年的無比信心成為海市蜃樓，讓人不禁唏噓，人定然可以勝天嗎？
1950年
台灣政府在沿海地區
設置海防碉堡
各種軍事設施
展現保國護土的決心
1964年
在北港溪口
推動「鰲鼓海埔新生地計劃」
大規模圍堤造陸
與海爭地
完成鰲鼓農場開發
1983年
鰲鼓農場墾殖達到頂盛
同時養殖漁業盛行
西南沿海因此過度抽取地下水
造成嚴重地層下陷
1986年
韋恩颱風侵襲
地層下陷關係
大量海水入侵七孔水門
海水無法排除
導致土地鹽化
鰲鼓農場無法再耕作
終止開發計畫
2012年
內政部將其列為國家重要濕地
正式開園
