“Taipei for the Poor: Transfer Station” jointly planned by the Poor Students Alliance to explore the true appearance of life at the bottom of Taipei

Are you Lin Yishan from Beidiao pursuing urban dreams? Carina Chen, an older woman who works hard in the workplace? Or Ajia who broke his guitar and cursed Taipei? Taipei is a sparkling and attractive city that attracts countless dreamers. They hope that this big city can provide them with a “transit” opportunity. However, behind the dazzling light of this city, there is also a little-known reality of life at the bottom. .

The MoCA Studio of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipei will launch the “Taipei of the Poor: Transfer Station” exhibition on April 27, co-curated by the Learning from the Poor Action Alliance (Poor Learning Alliance) and Zhu Gangyong, who have long been concerned about the history of the poor and unknown. . The title of the exhibition is “Transfer Station”, which not only covers the concept of public transport interchange, but also implies the expectation of transit in life. Inviting 13 groups of people who have experienced poverty, NGO groups and artists to participate in the creation, 8 groups of works were exhibited to deeply explore the reality of life at the bottom of the city through the form of art. These works not only present the life situations of marginalized groups in the city, but also aim to promote communication and dialogue and promote Taipei to become a more inclusive and equitable society.

As a public art museum, the Contemporary Museum has always been committed to providing a platform for all ethnic groups to participate in exploring diverse social issues through art. Director Luo Lizhen further pointed out: The Taipei Transfer Station is only a 10-minute walk from the Taipei Museum of Contemporary Art, where countless workers and foreign migrant workers from different backgrounds pursue their dreams or seek a better life. Although Taiwanese society advertises diversity and equality, there is still prejudice and discrimination against disadvantaged ethnic groups at the bottom of the city. Through this exhibition, we hope to eliminate those stereotypes through real life stories and artistic creation interpretations on the streets, so that this art museum can become a gentle and inclusive place, where more ethnic groups and audiences can find resonance and identity.

It has entered its eighth year since the Poor Students Alliance launched “Poor People’s Taipei” in 2017. It was exhibited in the Contemporary Museum for the first time this year. Curator Zhu Gangyong said: The Poor Students Alliance and its members include: those who have experienced poverty, 19 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), artists and sociology scholars use various forms such as exhibitions, theaters and citizen forums to promote exchanges and dialogue between the general public and those who have experienced poverty every year, break the stigma of poverty, and jointly outline a better society. An inclusive Taipei. This exhibition attempts to re-deconstruct the narrative of people coming to the city. Through three sub-topics: describing the process of people moving to the city, their experiences in the city, and the voices of the subjects, it restores those stories that are often labeled by the media and public opinion as “lack of effort” and ” “No hope” labels people’s three-dimensional and diverse appearances.

The 13 groups of artists and groups participating in this exhibition are: Baiwei of Life Pu, Zhang Yuyi. The people who have experienced poverty participating in the exhibition have multiple identities such as gender, ethnicity, and disease experience. The participating artists have multiple identities such as foreigners and social workers. “Migration” and “expectation” are emotions that resonate with both parties. Issues faced by everyone living in the city.

The work “What Wind Brought You Here” is composed of a long cabinet about 900 centimeters long that winds in the corridor of the exhibition hall. It was jointly produced by Liu Yuxuan, Liu Yixuan, Li Yiqi, Li Yunting and the Life Baiwei team. Each drawer is arranged in chronological order. The texts displayed are the self-narratives and sharings of poverty-stricken people who came to Taipei from various eras, allowing the audience to piece together what the city looks like from another perspective. The workhouse installation “Family Has Two Names” built by Tang Zuoxin and the Lewo Association and the aboriginal people in the urban area in the art museum features videos, objects, co-creation work and other exhibits to illustrate the life experiences of urban aborigines.

In the outdoor square of the Contemporary Museum, a bench with an expanded number of railings is placed. It is obviously different from the street furniture that is friendly to the general public for resting. It is a creation of Zhang Yuyi’s “Friendly Chair Project” and deliberately uses a strongly inconsistent installation technique. , thematicizing such landscapes reminds us of the current situation of exclusion of homeless people in public spaces. “After here, there is the river embankment. “” is a video and text creation by Chen Ruoxuan and her team. It records the demolition process of 15 local residents during the process of Ankang’s flat house being demolished into Xinglong social housing, and depicts the life situation that is buried under the social housing policy and forgotten. Following the scent of essential oils in the exhibition room, the diffusers of pottery dolls are the joint creation of the Community Practice Association, Huang Miaozhen and Zhang Pu, leading mothers from fragile families, and are created through kneading. During the process, you can temporarily forget your role as a mother in life and freely express your emotions.

“Vacation Island of the Body” is a dream that urban and rural areas accompany many people who have experienced poverty to make the outline of their body into a holiday island. They make wishes through creation and travel on each other’s islands with their eyes. This exhibition area simultaneously displays the works of students in the creation class “Walk Together”. “The Road to Restoration”. “Chronicle of Speech” records the process of the Poor Students Alliance since 2017 in creating a place where people who have experienced poverty can show up and meet with others, including curation, exchanges and legal revision activities. The message notes placed in the exhibition hall are expected to be opened with the audience. An interactive conversation.

The exhibition “Taipei for the Poor: Transfer Station” will be on display from April 27 to June 16. During the exhibition, a series of related activities include two talks on April 28. The first one will be hosted by curator Zhu Gangyong and exhibitors The team opened a dialogue and shared practical experiences from multiple perspectives such as artists, social workers and experiencers; the second session was a real-person library lectured by a homeless OA, leading the audience to have an in-depth understanding of the homeless and their life experiences and perspectives. On May 12, artist Zhang Yuyi’s “Ideal Chair” workshop discussed how seats in public spaces affect our social interactions and personal experiences. For detailed information about the above activities, please refer to the announcement on the official website of the Contemporary Museum and the FB fan page.

[Taipei for the Poor: Transfer Station]Exhibition
Exhibition period: 2024/4/27 ~ 2024/6/16
Exhibition location: MoCA Studio, Experimental Exhibition Hall, Taipei Museum of Contemporary Art

The post “Taipei for the Poor: Transfer Station” jointly planned by the Poor Students Alliance to explore the true appearance of life at the bottom of Taipei first appeared on Libao Media.