The Cultural Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Sydney and the Australian Centre on China in the World (CIW), a research institution under the Australian National University, inked an agreement on July 31 to cooperate in preliminary study for the Taiwan-Australia collaborated cultural project ,"Wayfaring: Photography in 1970s-80s Taiwan" exhibition.
Established in April 2010, CIW is an international institution for Chinese studies, addressing both the traditions and contemporary developments in the Chinese world – mainland China, Taiwan and the Chinese diaspora. The center plans to hold an international conference on memories of Taiwan's years of martial law in 2021. The exhibition is scheduled to be held at the time.
Director-General Fiona H.C. Fan (范惠君) of TECO in Sydney spoke of the significance of the cooperation at a meeting on August 7 with the two curators, Dr. Olivier Krischer of University of Sydney and Dr. Shuxia Chen of Australian National University. She pointed out that the exhibition title "wayfaring" reflects that the1970s and 1980s came as a critical period for democratic transformation for Taiwan. The exhibition can manifest to the audience Taiwan's democratization achievements. It is also a tribute to those who have contributed to Taiwan's democratization, including the late President Lee Teng-hui, who passed away on July 30.
"Australian Centre on China in the World values the diverse cultures of the Chinese-speaking world, and we appreciate the opportunity to partner with the Ministry of Culture, Republic of China through its first Oceania office in Sydney, on a project exploring the significance of visual culture in 1970s-80s Taiwan," CIW Director Jane Golley said.
"The Wayfaring project builds on CIW's 2015 exhibition 'Between – Picturing 1950-1960s Taiwan,' another successful collaboration with Taiwan's Ministry of Culture," Golley explained, adding that Dr. Shuxia Chen (陳淑霞), a visiting scholar to the centre, and Dr. Olivier Krischer of University of Sydney – two experts on Chinese art and curatorship – will be leading the project.
As to what can be expected from the exhibition, Dr. Krischer said it will be a reflection of shifting experiences in everyday Taiwanese life and culture during these decades, through a selection of photography, from photojournalism to experimental art.