'Silent Garden'_Project No1
Time period: 2020 to 2032
Location: Kuandu Fine Arts Museum, Taipei
this work is based on research about Vietnamese immigration community in Taiwan. Through months of research, I have chance to meet many Vietnamese people living in Taiwan who are refugees from ‘Vietnam-China war’, who are Vietnamese brides, imported labors, students etc., They are here but still miss their homeland, especially, the smells and tastes from home.
Many of them try to collect Vietnamese plants to grow, from small rooftop of their houses to balcony of school’s dorms, back side of their factory, or even a random empty lands on street… They can use Vietnamese plants and herbs to cook, to use for traditional medical treatments as the way they have learned from their parents or grand-parents at home. Also, the familiar taste and smell give them a lot of power to against the nostalgia.
But the fact, it is not easy to make that little ‘wish’, many people are working very hard here every day from morning to midnight, and also it is illegal to bring seeds, plants, or even fruits into Taiwan.
Through the garden and stories of people and their plants, I want to discover how the relationship of food and concept of home impacts to our mentality, our daily life; How our social - political issues can shape our mind and culture . My idea is to create a social platform that people can gather together, work and share together Vietnamese seeds/plants and also immigrated stories. The project aims to create a hope for people who are staying away from their home, also question our modern society/politic on the way its becoming.
Sincerely I want to send great thanks to Vietnamese Community in Taiwan, and many voluntees from Kuandu fine art museum, Kuandu Fine arts school,... Who have supported me for my long research around Taiwan, also spend lot of time, energy, and love for developing the work with me, building the garden, contributing plants, printing, transporting, and so on…