Ocula Magazine   |   News   |   Exhibitions

The event's inaugural edition showcases works by indigenous contemporary artists across the region, including New Zealand's Lisa Reihana and Taiwan's Yuma Taru.

Taiwan’s Austronesian Art Triennial Traces Indigenous Roots

Milay Mavaliw, Dalan (Road) (2023). Huge hemp rope, knitting device, dimensions variable. Courtesy of Taiwan International Austronesian Art Triennial. Photo: Jing Dean Commercial Photography.

The first Taiwan International Austronesian Art Triennial 2023 held its grand opening on 28 October at the Taiwan Indigenous Culture Park in Pingtung. It continues through 18 February 2024.

The Triennial's inaugural theme is RamiS: Tracing Origins. RamiS means 'root' in the Proto-Austronesian language, encapsulating the cultural and ecological practices that relate the indigenous people of Taiwan to those of the Australaisa and the Pacific.

Nakaw Putun, the Indigenous Taiwanese Pangcah co-curator of the Triennial, along with Etan Pavavalung, described the title as a 'reflection of the idea that we perhaps need to actively become spiritual to collaboratively think about the sustainability of humanity.'

Lisa Reihana, Nomads of the Sea (2019). Video, 17 min.

Lisa Reihana, Nomads of the Sea (2019). Video, 17 min. Courtesy of Taiwan International Austronesian Art Triennial. Photo: Jing Dean Commercial Photography.

Lisa Reihana, who represented New Zealand at the 57th Venice Biennale, is one of 25 artists from Taiwan and across the Pacific who feature in the show.

Her multi-channel video installation Nomads of the Sea (2018) weaves a narrative that explores colonialism while re-examining traditional Maori culture and gender roles. It's displayed under the Triennial's sub-section, Becoming Spiritual, which was curated by Putun and delves into how Austronesian people's animistic beliefs exemplify a sustainable relationship with nature.

Indigenous Taiwanese artists exhibiting under this theme include Truku-Atayal artist Idas Losin, who will feature in the 24th Biennale of Sydney next year, and Makotaay artist Iyo Kacaw, whose wood sculpture Between You and Me (2023) deals with the degradation of the ocean.

Yuma Taru, Sea・Rise, and River・Flow (2023). Mixed media, dimensions variable.

Yuma Taru, Sea・Rise, and River・Flow (2023). Mixed media, dimensions variable. Courtesy of Taiwan International Austronesian Art Triennial. Photo: Jing Dean Commercial Photography.

In the Triennial's other sub-section, Why We Are Us, co-curator Etan Pavavalung curates an impression of 'the Austronesian "us",' as he describes it, shaped by colonialism, trauma, common challenges, and shared solutions.

Atayal artist Yuma Taru's installations Sea·Rise and River·Flow (2023), for instance, are part of a 50-year creative plan that involves weaving and chanting based on observations of shared issues among Austronesian communities.

'The exhibition shares experiences of existence and attempts to guide viewers into contemplating our affinity with the Austronesian realm' and 'our communal trajectory towards a sustainable future,' Pavavalung said. —[O]

Ocula discover the best in contemporary art icon.
Ocula discover the best in contemporary art icon.
Ocula Newsletter
Stay informed.
Receive our bi-weekly digest on the best of
contemporary art around the world.
Your personal data is held in accordance with our privacy policy.
Subscribe
Ocula discover the best in contemporary art icon.
Get Access
Join Ocula to request price and availability of artworks, exhibition price lists and build a collection of favourite artists, galleries and artworks.
Do you have an Ocula account? Login
What best describes your interest in art?

Subscribe to our newsletter for upcoming exhibitions, available works, events and more.
By clicking Sign Up or Continue with Facebook or Google, you agree to Ocula's Terms & Conditions. Your personal data is held in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Thank you for joining us. Just one more thing...
Soon you will receive an email asking you to complete registration. If you do not receive it then you can check and edit the email address you entered.
Close
Thank you for joining us.
You can now request price and availability of artworks, exhibition price lists and build a collection of favourite artists, galleries and artworks.
Close
Welcome back to Ocula
Enter your email address and password below to login.
Reset Password
Enter your email address to receive a password reset link.
Reset Link Sent
We have sent you an email containing a link to reset your password. Simply click the link and enter your new password to complete this process.
Login