Taishin Bank Foundation for Arts and Culture

Comments on the Finalist 

The “Earthquake Sketching Group,” comprising fifteen local youths from Hualien, took the initiative to visually document the aftermath of the 2024 Hualien earthquake. They recorded the drastically altered landscape following the disaster. They seized the opportunity to showcase their sketches at the satellite exhibition of the art festival, presenting works created over months from various locations, including the Guofu Construction Residual Treatment Plant, hot springs in Wanrong, the College of Science and Engineering at National Dong Hwa University, Dongshan Cemetery, and Qingshui Cliff. They also displayed photographs of the disaster-stricken and demolition sites captured by local photographer HUANG Ting-Yun. Their action genuinely and powerfully illustrated the emotional bonds that local residents have with the land and the complex feelings experienced after the disaster. The exhibition has transcended the typical “painting/photography exhibition.” It embodies the agency and healing power of art and represents a highly proactive effort to shape society. (Commentator: CHANG Yun-Ting)

Artwork Introduction

The project is organized around “group sketching” expeditions, encouraging artists to create works in Hualien at locations affected by the earthquake or connected to seismic activity, geology, and landscape themes. Through thorough and direct field investigations, the artists meticulously surveyed and documented the post-disaster scenes and impacts through hands-on involvement and nuanced, real-time observations. As both witnesses and survivors, participants experienced multiple physical and emotional states, which revealed new perspectives on the social landscape, a sense of care for the land, and interpretations of the cityscape. Through these diverse viewpoints, the project aims to sense and articulate both the land’s condition and the present time and space.

About the Artist

The “Earthquake Sketching Group” consists of 14 young artists from Hualien. All of them personally experienced the Hualien earthquake on April 3, 2024, and have since documented its aftermath. Assuming both roles, they decided to venture outdoors and sketch from life, exploring the transformed landscape following the quake. Through painting, photography, video, and spatial installations made with found objects, they use artistic creation to capture the essence of this moment in time and space.

Production Team

Curators: CHEN Bo-Nian, WANG Yu-Song 

Project Manager: CHEN Bo-Nian

Artist-collective Director: HUANG Jheng-Ciang, WANG Yu-Song 

Venue Coordinators: CHANG Chun-He, HUANG Jheng-Ciang

Workshop lecturers: HUANG Jheng-Ciang, WU Yu

Exhibition Installation: CHANG Chun-He, CHEN Bo-Nian, WANG Yu-Song 

(In alphabetical order of surnames)