A Poetic Place — Stray Bird 197-East Rift Valley Land Art Festival

Eleng Luluan’s “Therapeutic Works” echo Stray Birds 227, “The movement of life has its rest in its own music.” Luluan hopes that her art has a therapeutic and inspiring effect upon her audience. “Therapeutic Works” is located in the forest next to Guanshan Waterfront Park. Luluan used pipes, rope and bamboo to create a hanging instillation in between the trees. Come to Guanshan and spend a peaceful afternoon here immersed in the relaxing aura of the forest.

In his piece, “Waiting to Transform,” internationally renowned artist Xu Ming-sheng hung cocoons and pupae he created out of bamboo amongst a lush banyan grove. This piece calls upon the power of two forms of “waiting.” The first type of waiting gives humanity peace and quiet. This feeling is like poem 155 of Stray Birds, “Silence will carry your voice like the nest that holds the sleeping birds.” However, the other type of waiting isn’t completely still. It is the brewing impetus of change. This is the force and radiance behind all life.

“The mist, like love, plays upon the heart of the hills and brings out surprises of beauty.” (Stray Birds 74) Lin Shu-ling’s piece “Of Clouds,” transforms poetic imagination into a physical space. Lin’s piece is like experiencing the texture and temperature of each part of a cloudy sky. Hues weave together just like nature’s tapestry of colors that refract in the heavens above us. This piece is on the top of a manmade hill in Guanshan Waterfront Park. When you visit the hill’s viewing deck, stretch out your arms and welcome in all the possibilities the universe has to offer.

Both nature and art can put your mind at ease. Lin Chun-yong and Yang Hai-qian found inspiration from the rose window of Notre Dame. They also transformed imagery from Stray Birds 249, “Dark clouds become heaven’s flowers when kissed by light.” The duo used natural materials to weave together the arches of a dome. Part of their instillation also features a rose window made of multicolored woven bamboo. Standing in the dome on a clear day, sunlight disperses throughout the space. It’s like you’re bathing in the radiance of a sacred cathedral, bringing clarity and wisdom to all.

Say what? There’s a fat pink hippo in Luye’s Xinliang Wetlands? Chen Yi-chang created this hippo out of fibre-reinforced plastic and acrylic enamel. This hippo is here to remind us about the imagination and passions of long-lost childhood. “We live in this world when we love it,” (Stray Birds 279). This friendly pink hippo is inviting you to join in on the fun of a lazy day floating in the river!

Amis artist Iyo Kacaw’s “Kitten Seeds,” is an playful and fun creation. The artist imagined if he were a seed, he would one day grow into a cat and follow his owner around on different adventures. Whether a seed or a cat, this work reflects the inherent desire in all of us to travel. “Sit still, my heart, do not raise your dust. Let the world find its way to you.” (Stray Birds 190). Let’s embrace our wanderlust and go to Houhu in Luye. There, we can explore rice paddies under bright blue skies with our new friend “Kitten Seeds.”

（Photo Credit：Pioneering East Rift Valley Granary Festivities）