The opening ceremony of Open Gangshan's Memory Boxes held on June 16 attracted many distinguished participants from all sectors.

 

A local co-created exhibition, Open Gangshan’s Memory Boxes, grandly opened at Gangshan Cultural Center on June 6. It was curated by Taiwan Fu Hsing Industrial Co. in collaboration with National Sun Yat-sen University, and the Cultural Association of Gangshan Military Dependents’ Village. The exhibition and related events will run for one month.  

 

This exhibition, after one-year plan and preparation, gathers Gangshan’s memories of different generations and ethnic groups. Along with three artists and three creative teams, the contributions are made by a total of sixty members, including local residents, young students, the elders of the military dependents’ village, and Fu Hsing’s migrant workers. The whole exhibition is divided into three main sections: “Memory Boxes,” “Fennel, Flying Home,” and “Memories across Borders.” In addition, two independent pieces of art are also included: one is Artist WU Siou Ming’s Dusted Time, a sound art that re-transforms the songs in the lives of the people in Gangshan, and the other is Photographer CHEN Po-I’s Left, a project documenting the already torn-down Military Dependents’ village.

 

In recent years, with the aiding resources from the government and private enterprises, Gangshan’s infrastructure has been developing rapidly, such as the extension of KRTC Red Line to the north, the building of the southern technology corridor, and the establishment of medical institutes, but its cultural characteristics, in contrast, have been gradually fading away. How can we continue with the local development while preserving the cultural quintessence so as to build a unique city brand for Gangshan? This will be an important issue for Gangshan in the future.

 

As a local company in Gangshan, Taiwan Fu Hsing has long supported local arts, education, and sports and activities. Moreover, Fu Hsing pays more attention to the ways of making the best use of our ESG values in order to create a sustainable and mutual prosperity for the Company and Gangshan. “Taking care of the local area is more than an emotional response. In the long run, the more prosperous the place becomes, the more people will be willing to stay to work and live. This is the best way for us to retain top talents for the companies and the industries. It’s a beautiful cycle for the local and the industries,” said Taiwan Fu Hsing’s Chief of Culture Lin I-Cheng. The intention of Taiwan Fu Hsing’s engagement in this exhibition through its Foundation is that, by the curatorial team’s narration and presentation, hopefully, more people will see Gangshan’s beauty.

 

Open Gangshan's Memory Boxes opens to the public from June 15 until July 15. In addition to the physical display, the exhibition also has a website and several documentaries for the public to view online. People who are interested in Gangshan are welcome to join and explore the various faces of Gangshan.

The "Memory Boxes" workshop participants were invited to share their stories behind the scenes at the opening ceremony.

 

Under the guidance of the artists, the mothers of the military dependents' village drew from their personal memories and daily cuisine to create these food sculptures in the section of "Fennel, Flying Home."

 

In the exhibition section of  "Memories across Borders," the life stories of five Fu Hsing's migrant workers are displayed to retell new migrants' life experiences in Gangshan.