The theme of Taitung Sound Art this year is The Entanglement of Multispecies. It’s aimed to explore the three aspects – genetics, species and ecosystem included in the biodiversity. Also, multifaceted life forms will be examined and presented based on their genes, individualities, ethnic groups, races, communities, ecosystems, landscapes and areas pertinent to this subject. During the process of the advanced development in human civilization, the environment has been over-developed and polluted, which has led to depleting natural resources and exacerbated the balance of the ecosystem. Many species are facing the crisis of extinction. This silent progression is bound to isolate individuals, break down the community structures and eventually weaken the power of the ecosystem to recover and recreate.
Donna J. Haraway, an American professor, stated in her book, When Species Meet, that we humans haven’t evolved all on our own without any interaction with the other species. It is the constant interaction with the companion species that enlightens the knotted interdependent relationships, which we should learn to take responsibilities in each encountering. Moreover, we should work toward a future of co-existing with a wide diversity of species. As much as human societies have operated on hierarchies, the world itself is actually a web woven with a multiple of species. Hence, we must root out anthropocentrism and continuously seek out to maintain a balanced social network.
Separated by the central mountain range, Taitung, situated on the east coast of the island, is geographically isolated from the rest of Taiwan yet it flourishes in the diversity of natural resources and ethnic groups. What it offers might be a great opportunity to contemplate on the interdependent relationships between humans and other species. It would be fascinating to understand how this intricate social network forges our sense of our world.
——— Curator Proton Chang