A permanent exhibition presenting major events in the past 50 years of Taiwan history will be on view starting from Dec. 20, 2018 at the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei.
Curated by historian Chen Jun-kai (陳君愷), the exhibition will offer insights on the process of democratization and the pursuit of human rights and rule of law from 1970s Taiwan to the present day.
The exhibition will feature a timeline incorporating digital images of historical events and newspaper coverage, which show that the authoritarian regime in Taiwan reached its peak in the 1970s. For instance, the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, which was built to commemorate an authoritarian ruler, was the most iconic symbol of that era.
With the emergence of democracy, the authoritarian system started to break down following the Wild Lily student movement, anti-nuclear movement, and other social movements as well as political campaigns, driving the seeds of democracy to grow and spread all over Taiwan.
Installations and images showcasing the fruitful development of democracy in Taiwan and the ongoing transition of the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall as well as the shift in the hall’s surrounding landscapes will also be presented through holographic projection and multimedia technology.
Starting last year, the Ministry of Culture has been pushing for the transformation of the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall through transitional justice, seeking to restore historical truths, clarify responsibilities, advocate political rehabilitation, and promote human rights education. The exhibition will also present how the authoritarian symbol is given new meaning by practicing transitional justice.
In addition to shedding light on the historical development of democracy in Taiwan, the management office of the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall also hopes for viewers to contemplate on the essence of freedom and human rights and treasure this hard-earned democracy.
‘Look Closely: Clash between Authoritarianism and Democracy’
- Date: Dec. 20, 2018 – Permanent Exhibition
- Venue: National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
- Address: No. 21 Zhongshan S. Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan (ROC)
- Site: www.cksmh.gov.tw
Watch the
full six-minute video on Taiwan's civil rights history here.