Guandu Nature Park calls for three artists with a focus on the human-nature relationship to participate in the 2023 Guandu International Nature Art Festival entitled “Nature, a Gift” Submission deadline is June 30^th, 2023. Selected artists will spend around four weeks as artists-in-residence in Guandu Nature Park and use natural or environmentally friendly materials to create artworks onsite that can convey environmental messages and raise awareness.

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Theme: Nature, a Gift

             -Connection, Giving and Exchange

"Gifts" play a special role in the lives of mankind. Unlike general functional needs, gifts always contain a nature of connection between the giver and the receiver, even if these objects called "gifts" are no different from general objects. This mutual relationship played a social function in early human life, meaning that it was not limited to individuals, but more often a responsibility and obligation between groups, or a kind of unspoken contractual relationship, also implying a certain moral and ethical value (the receiver has the duty and responsibility to give back). This is deeply expounded in the famous work of Marcel Mauss, the anthropologist: "The Gift: Forms and Functions of Exchange in Archaic Societies", which traces the role gifts played in primitive societies. This kind of exchange activity, detached from the functional aspect of bartering in early human society, gave objects more of a human psychological color.

We always have countless reasons to give gifts to others (whether it's out of gratitude, admiration, or other motives). These objects always carry the intention (motivation) of the giver. In short, gifts contain the awareness and feelings of both the giver and the receiver, which create a connection between both sides. As a special object, gifts carry a certain spiritual significance due to this relationship they embody.

Viewing nature as a gift means perceiving nature as something that is given to us. This perspective reflects how we think about our relationship with nature and how we can establish a connection through this relationship. With the advancement of civilization and technology, the idea of viewing nature as a resource to be controlled and managed is a commonly held ideology, with an attitude that is often utilitarian and instrumental. However, this attitude has gradually become controversial, with the emergence of various environmental issues such as global warming, climate change, and biodiversity, being wrapped up in the concept of Anthropocene. We are gradually realizing that nature is an organic system that operates as a whole (such as the Gaia hypothesis), which reminds us to rethink our relationship with nature. However, is there a more proactive attitude we can adopt towards our relationship with nature?

If the theme of the previous exhibition, " Healing, A Methodology," helped us discover the spiritual connections and functions of nature, this year's curation, "Nature, A Gift," represents an opener attitude towards exploring these relationships. By placing artistic creation within the framework of gift-giving, we aim to foster a kind and profound connection with nature, just as what we do with the act of giving gifts.

Call for Artists

When we incorporate the act of gift-giving into our thinking, everything can be approached from different perspectives. Regarding nature, on one hand, it is more than just resources we rely on for survival; we should view it as a gift - an environment shaped by the exchange and interweaving of different ecosystems that has brought about our current way of life (with humans being just one part of it). As receivers, we should contemplate how to respond to this gift, and this exhibition is an attempt to consider how we can form deeper connections with nature from this standpoint.

As the main outlet of the Taipei Basin's water system, the Guandu Plain is a wetland that contains many biological activities and serves as a flood detention area to protect the safety of the Taipei metropolitan area. From early agricultural activities to urban development, industrial pollution, garbage crises, global warming and climate change, rising sea levels, and the decline of biodiversity, the Guandu Plain is almost a microcosm of the entire environmental issue. However, through the establishment of a conservation area, we have transformed it into a gift. Therefore, life is sustained and evolved through the gift of nature.

This year's curatorial theme for the Guandu International Nature Art Festival, "Nature, a Gift - Connection, Giving, and Exchange," is our gift to the Guandu Plain. We invite artists to respond to this theme through their artistic creations.

Creative Goal

The format of creation is unrestricted and may include interdisciplinary contemporary art, visual art, installation art, etc. The use of natural materials is preferred for media, and the creative process must comply with environmentally friendly principles. The works created should convey the values of habitat creation and biodiversity, the connections between the ecology, birds, and human interactions surrounding Guandu, and should trigger awareness of ecological conservation. The creative concept and presentation of the works should emphasize their artistic nature.

Timetable

• Off days: Aug.14、Aug. 21、Aug. 28、Sep. 4

• Any change to the current timetable will be made in accordance with notifications from the organizer, and will be announced on the official website of Guandu Nature Park and Guandu International Nature Art Festival.

Contact

1) Email: festival@gd-park.org.tw

2) Phone: +886-2-28587417 ext. 230 (Ms. Evonne Yeh)

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