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There is no________

Venue

Pier-2 art center

Year

2019

Location

Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Material

Radio program [Chinese/ Taiwanese/Indonesian], 14'07", installation. Artificial tree, coconut, coconut seed, coconut water, wood

00:00 / 14:07

'The Scout emblem incorporates the seed of the coconut palm, a common native Indonesian plant and all parts of which are used in Indonesian everyday life, symbolizing the philosophy of a true Scout, who must make him or herself useful in all aspects of life. The seed form represents the growing spirit, physical toughness, adaptability, and high aspiration of the Scout.'

​

—— Wikipedia: Gerakan Pramuka Indonesia.

The Southeast Asian migrant workers have shaped Taiwan’s multifaceted and diverse culture. Brought improvement to the aging society and labor-intensive industries in Taiwan. The 'coconut seed' symbolized the persevering spirit and an ideal in their mind, reflecting their life motto as migrant workers abroad. Working Hard builds a fake flower bed in the exhibition as a scenery near the street. The radio program of the sound installation has collaborated with Taiwanese new immigrants/Indonesian Nana [The Radio Program Anchor of The Fishery Radio Station, Kaohsiung]. She tells the meaning of the Indonesian coconut proverb in Taiwanese. Intends to give audiences a sense of identity in Indonesian culture. But both Indonesian and Taiwanese languages were re-mixed with her speaking. Through the radio program, the artist reproduces the process of the anchor's identity of herself changing in between. While the different social groups of people/audiences sit, the role of 'the people who are absent' is replaced and exchanged. Intended to remind people of those forgotten city landscapes, as a question: 'Who is the outsider of this landscape?'

Working Hard: ‘There is no______’, Pier‐2 Art Center, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2019
Working Hard: ‘There is no______’, Pier‐2 Art Center, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2019
Working Hard: ‘There is no______’, Pier‐2 Art Center, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2019
Working Hard: ‘There is no______’, Pier‐2 Art Center, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2019
Working Hard: ‘There is no______’, Pier‐2 Art Center, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2019

Photo © Working Hard. Photographed by Taha Ahmad.

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