展覽介紹Exhibition Introduction
蕭壠文化園區Siao-Long Cultural Park
臺南現場 - 鹽分地帶On locations, TAINAN -The Saline land
展覽介紹Exhibition Introduction
展區：蕭壠文化園區A4館
簡介：
「鹽分地帶」作為2018年臺南國際攝影節的「臺南現場」，以溪北（曾文溪以北）在地的生活與產業為主要關照範圍。「鹽分地帶」是這裡的別名，寓意在與貧瘠的自然環境鬥爭中，炎炎烈日下身處海水陸地的交界，人民跟老天爺打交道討生活，所形成的勤勞樸實、堅韌不拔的性格和美德。
此單元從古老的產業出發，鹽是維繫生命的生活必需品，從日治時代到臺灣製鹽總廠都是專賣壟斷的事業。黃建龍是西班牙CASTILLA-LA MANCHA大學人文學院跨文化研究博士候選人，曾任職於臺鹽鹽光文教基金會，擔任臺灣鹽博物館籌設到開幕營運的企劃總監。他將臺鹽員工所留下來的老照片，砌成了一個視覺的時空廊道，從鹽道看今昔，今日鹽田地區的休憩觀光景像，對照當年所收集的這批以人力為主的時代的史料，更顯彌足珍貴。
黃子欽是著名的設計師，1970年生臺灣臺南，擔任誠品書店平面設計與櫥窗設計師多年後，近年來專注在書籍的設計且獲獎無數，他是位拆解、拼貼視覺元素的的高手。此次展出作品《漂流島》，由海邊漂流物形成物件組合，想像回推脈絡母島的模樣，一個因為戰爭、殖民、氣候⋯⋯甚至是垃圾運輸，堆疊成的浮島。帶領觀眾一起來到時光的洋流中，找尋如影像化石的共同記憶。這些物件封存在透明固態裡，就像是一塊塊立體的照片。
自稱是黑手攝影家的楊順發是臺南善化人，退伍後進入中國鋼鐵公司工作，不滿足於傳統與沙龍攝影，努力自我突破窠臼，秉持著「向臺灣這塊土地學習」的心態，曾以編導式攝影結合暗房後製的《再造王國》虛構社會暗黑與民間傳說，令人耳目一新。2015年起的新作，為兼具人文、生態與東方美學的《臺南水沒》，其以優雅但又沈痛的影像筆觸，描繪出臺灣西南沿海地區過度抽取地下水造成地層下陷、防風林被砍伐導致海岸線退縮、洋流方向改變等土地傷痕。楊順發為了 2018年臺南國際攝影節，在暴雨肆虐南臺時，趕赴濱海拍攝全新作品。
從1992年濱南開發案到2009成立「臺江國家公園」，關鍵因素就在全球瀕危物種黑面琵鷺，其主要繁殖於朝鮮半島，臺灣是牠度冬的重要棲息地。王徵吉的攝影在這場生態保衛戰中，發揮了決定性的影響力。自稱黑琵先生 （Mr. Happy）的王徵吉是2006年韓國環境運動聯盟保護黑面琵鷺貢獻獎的得主，有著數不清的獎項殊榮。2017年黑面琵鷺全球普查結果出爐，全球共記錄到3941隻，臺灣共記錄到2601隻，占全球總數66％，穩居世界第一，也是對大自然生態與所有努力付出者的最大肯定。
郵差李翔在工作的過程中，實實在在地踏遍臺南的鄉間小路與市鎮，一年四季不分晴雨，走過一戶戶人家，使命必達地將一封封信箋交付到收信人手中，同時他的眼睛也努力張望著自己郵便機車輪下所刻畫過的一寸寸土地。隨著季節更替所顯現的不同風貌，這些影像也是他與在地連結的見證。
藝術家通力合作，以新創的攝影作品為主體，呼喚臺南的歷史、地理、人文，橫向連結今日臺南不同空間的現況，交織不同的經緯向度，描繪出更清晰立體的今日臺南樣貌。
Venue: Siao-Long Cultural Park, A4 Gallery
Introduction:
“On Locations, Tainan” in 2018 TiFF mainly focuses on life and industries in the areas located at the north of Zengwen River. The area, also known as “Saline Land”, is the border between sea and land. People here have to make their living under scorching sun on this barren land and fight with natural disasters. Despite their hardships, they persevere with life, stay humble and down-to-earth. They work hard and at the same time keep their spirit and kind-heartedness.
Salt making is an ancient industry. Being a necessity to sustain life, salt has been a monopoly business ever since Japanese-rule era until the establishment of Headquarter of Taiwan Salt Industry. Jalo Huang, the doctoral candidate of Cross-cultural Research of the School of Humanities in Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha in Spain, used to work in Salt Glory Cultural and Educational Foundation and the served as the Director for Planning in the preparatory office of Taiwan Salt Museum before its inauguration. The display of old photos preserved by TAIYEN (Taiwan Salt Corporation) employees forms a visual time tunnel for retrospection. From the old salt railway, we can see a totally different landscape of salt fields, which are now used for recreation and tourism. In contrast to the scenes nowadays, the images of this labor-intensive industry in historical archives are even more valuable.
Born in 1970 in Tainan, Taiwan, HUANG Tzi-chin is a famous designer who had worked in Eslite Bookstore for graphic design and shop window design. In recent years, he has focused on book design and been awarded several times. He specializes in deconstructing and collaging visual elements. The project, “Drifting Island”, is a combination of coastal waste, which leads us to an imaginary mother island, a floating island piled up by the remains of wars, colonization, weather, or even garbage shipment. The project brings the audience to the current of time and search for the collective memory like image fossils. The objects are sealed in transparent solid materials just like pieces of 3D photos.
YANG Shun-fa, who always calls himself a “mechanic photographer”, was born in Shanhua, Tainan. After discharged from army, he worked in China Steel Corporation. Discontent with conventional and studio photography, he tried to challenge himself with the work, “Reconstructed Kingdom”. With fabricated photography and darkroom post-production, he invented darkness of society and folk legends in the story, which was quite a refreshing approach back then. In 2015, he presented the series of “Tainan Sink and Wash” in a graceful but sorrowful touch. The series, which integrated humanity, ecology, and the oriental ink and wash painting, unveiled the disastrous consequences of land subsidence resulted from the long-term excessive extraction of groundwater in the southwest coast of Taiwan. The deforestation of windbreaks led to the retreat of coastlines while the changing direction of ocean currents have scarred our land. For 2018 TiFF, Yang rushed to the seashore even when the torrential rain devastated southern Taiwan just to create a whole new project.
From the Pin-Nan Industrial Area Plan in 1992 to the foundation of “Taijiang National Park” in 2009, black-faced spoonbills, the endangered species in the world, had played a key role in changing the whole area. They breed mostly in Korean Peninsula and migrate to wintering sites, such as Taiwan, which has been one of the most important locations for them. In this ecological battle against industrial development, WANG Jeng-Jyi’s photography has played a decisive role to protect the habitat. WANG, who calls himself “Mr. Happy” (pronounced like black-faced spoonbills in Chinese), received Contribution Award for the protection of the Black-faced Spoonbill by Korean Federation for Environmental Movement and many other awards. The black-faced spoonbill population in the 2017 census was recorded at 3941 birds with 2601 of them recorded in Taiwan. The figure accounted for 66% of total population and was ranked the first in the world. It is not only an acknowledgement for the conservation efforts that have been made but also an encouragement to ecological protection in Taiwan.
Lee Sean is a postman. His work is riding through countryside roads and busy streets in towns in Tainan to deliver posts, whether sunny or rainy all year round. He walks by every household, hands letters to receivers, and completes his missions day by day. At the same time, he captures every single scene through his eyes during the ride. By doing so, he tries to remember the roads he’s been to and the seasonal changes of landscapes. The images are manifestation of how he connect to locals and the land.
Artists gather here to create new works of images collectively in response to Tainan’s history, geography, and culture. Interweaving the landscapes across spaces and time, the project intends to depict a vivid and substantial image of Tainan City.