Taiwan 2017
Delicate balance represents the fragile relationship between people and their natural environment. The cube-shaped sculpture represents an architectural intervention in the landscape; its shape, purposely geometric, controlled and inorganic. The form is in flux, in a state of change, as the centre of the cube is visually disintegrating and transforming into another form. With this new sculpture, I wanted to celebrate change, embrace the elements and invite the natural forces to assist in the re-shaping of the artwork. The very fragility of the structure addresses the question of how we function in a naturally changing world. Do we try to control and overpower nature with engineering and technology or do we accept our limitations and understand that nature has a cycle of birth, death and re-birth and that we must develop a more symbiotic and sustainable relationship?
I spent nearly a month in Cheng Long working with my volunteer assistant, Wan Jung Cheng, cutting and forming thousands of pieces of split bamboo into the finished sculpture. We were lucky to have help from the local villagers who really contributed to the project, learning new techniques and sharing the creative process. Bamboo is an amazing material!
Throughout the build we welcomed both villagers and visitors, explaining the concept of the sculpture. It was also a good opportunity to discuss their lives in Cheng Long; how they farmed the fish, clams and shrimps in their pens which surround the village and how the changing weather in the wetlands of western Taiwan and how this was effecting them in their daily lives. It’s striking to see the visual effects all around the village with semi -submerged houses and to consider how the rising sea level has impacted on them in such a short time!
