Transformation - Strolling on the Edge | Exhibition Information

Southern Wanhua, formerly known as Ka-la̍h-á, is located near the Xindian River and was historically referred to as “swamp” (gara) in the Ketagalan language. Situated within the significant pathways of Dadaocheng and the Zhonghe pier, this area flourished in the 19th century following the rise of the British Empire’s global trade during the time. Significant commodities such as tea and camphor from the northern mountain regions of Taiwan were transported via the Tamsui River Watershed towards the docks.

The term “Marginal Hubs” (1) designates geographical or political frontiers that transcend the boundaries between rural and urban, modern and historical, periphery and center. These indeterminate areas often comprise border outposts, riverside markets, vegetable markets, suburban industrial satellite cities, and such. Despite their different development trajectories, the areas exude vibrancy in their collective diverse social compositions and multifaceted modes of interaction. The exploration of these “Marginal Hubs” therefore provides an entry point to better understand the heterogeneity of Asian societies.

Today, located at the riverside region of Wanhua, the Taipei First Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Market and the Taipei Fish Market continue to conduct wholesale auctions daily, where auction calls begin as early as 3:30 in the morning, with trucks and large carts bustling to and fro. After the auctions, groups of scavengers collect and push cartloads of discarded cardboard boxes to the remaining recycling center in Wanhua—known as the “Guangyao Hardware Store” (2) —in exchange for meager living expenses, forming a distinctive spectacle of resource circulation. Such a spectacle embodies the multifaceted nature of Southern Wanhua, demonstrating the simultaneous existence of a gradually marginalized old city district, its largest wholesale market, and the informal economy of scavenging within. This intersectional quality of the area established Southern Wanhua as the ideal first stop for the artist’s “motivation” for this project during his previous residency at Waley Art.

“Strolling” as Artistic Pathways

After his research residency at Waley Art last year, Dutch artist Frank Havermans returns to Taiwan again for his second residency, focusing on creative work and research. In examining the landscape and urban relationship of Southern Wanhua from his unique perspective as an architect/artist, Havermans opts for an electric cart, a symbol for the “heritage of commerce,” as the basis for his creation. Referencing the layout plan of Fort Zeelandia—a 17th-century trading post constructed by the Dutch East India Company for trade routes—as the foundational template, the artist reconstructs an architectural installation on the cart’s platform, naming this site-specific work Trolley 0504. During the creation process, Havermans maneuvered the large-scale installation throughout the alleys of Southern Wanhua, recorded the reactions of market vendors and local residents on film, and eventually drove the cart back to its initial departure point at Waley Art. With the multiple back-and-forth movements of the cart’s trajectory, or “loops,” the artist aims to display his observations of the local network. The configuration of the installation itself also undergoes a continuous transformation as the artist traverses throughout the alleys of Wanhua, resulting in an organic developmental process of the work; the process occurs during and extends beyond the exhibition period as well. After the end of the exhibition, Havermans plans to dismantle and destroy the installation piece.

Adhering to local protocols, the pieces that make up the installation will be transported to a Taipei recycling center nearby. Through the artistic enactment of “recycling,” this final step completes and mirrors the “cyclical” daily routine of market vendors.

Art Together (Where Art Encounters the Neighborhood)

The exhibition also features the archives of the Mobile Art Strollers project, a collaborative effort by the Hong Kong art group ART Together with Hong Kong artists Martin Cheung and Choi Sang Cheung, and Waley Art as well. This project extends ART Together’s concept of reanimating neighborhoods and communities in Hong Kong and Macau. During the two artists’ residency in Taiwan, Martin Cheung utilized his expertise in photography to create a handcart installation made out of cardboard boxes from the local market, forming a pinhole camera. On the other hand, Choi Sang Cheung developed an interactive cart installation that displayed the “three treasures of Wanhua”—jasmine flowers, bean sprouts, and Ma bamboo shoots. After the artist conducted interactive excursions within the Donyuan Street area of Southern Wanhua, the installation cart was modified with the incorporation of various elements such as iron pots, kettles, the song A Maiden’s Prayer, as well as miracle fruits gifted by the local residents—all which combine to reflect the nature of the neighborhood’s urban development and daily life. Moving continuously through these streets, the cart installation becomes a medium that carries out the act of “urban strolling,” an act that allows the artist to simultaneously amass yet disrupt the local context. As Choi Sang Cheung navigates the cart deeper into the neighborhood and engages with local shop owners and vendors, residents are invited to reexamine Southern Wanhua from unconventional perspectives; the shared experiences and cultural exchanges thus allow the “flow” of diverse stories, fostering serendipitous encounters.

The exhibition Transformation—Strolling on the Edge not only features artist Frank Havermans’ residency project but also re-evaluates the idea of art residency itself as an experience of “temporary locality” by presenting the archives of Waley Art’s previous project Mobile Art Strollers as well. By juxtaposing the similarities and differences between these artists’ projects, the exhibition aims to imply the emerging creation of connection, relationships, and coexistence. The exhibition will be presented in two phases. Frank Havermans’ creation process will take place from August 12th to August 19th, which will feature the filming of the installation’s real-life, on-street interactions. The audience is invited to engage with the artist’s “stroll-like” exploration of Southern Wanhua through various historical perspectives and embody the concept of “slow-wandering” as a mode of contemplation. This process also symbolizes the dynamic relationship between new urban policies and the current, albeit older landscape of Wanhua. Following the filming of the interactive project, the official exhibition of Havermans’ artwork Trolley 0504 and the videos will then take place from August 19th to September 10th. Transformation——Strolling on the Edge aims to shed light on the old Wanhua district through the artworks it features, inviting the audience to engage in a multi-layered “art gathering”, and simultaneously responding to the concept of “Marginal Hubs” which emphasizes the common differences present in mundane everyday life.

Note 1：MAGNUS MARSDEN, and MADELEINE REEVES. “Marginal Hubs: On Conviviality beyond the Urban in Asia: Introduction.” Modern Asian Studies, Cambridge University Press, Mar.

Note 2：Due to policy regulations, “Guangyao Hardware Store” closed on Feburary 12th, 2023—coincidently during artist Frank Havermans’ residency in Taiwan (2022-2023).

Exhibition Details

• Transformation - Strolling on the Edge | Exhibition
• Date: 12 Aug - 10 Sept 2023
• Time: 12:00-19:30 (Monday to Sunday)
• Venue: Waley Art
• Address: No. 6, Ln. 322, Wanda Rd., Wanhua Dist., Taipei City

• Organizer｜Waley Art
• Official Partners｜Studio Frank Havermans、Art Together
• Sponsor Partners｜Mondriaan Fund、Department of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City Government、National Culture and Arts Foundation

Information Source: Waley Art｜Facebook