Rippling Waves and Graceful White Shadows (Landscape Art Festival - Egret) Introduction
The ponds are a prominent natural landscape in Fonggang, and the irrigation canals of the ponds represent the unique topography of the Taoyuan area. They were originally developed for agricultural irrigation and serve not only agricultural functions but also provide a rich food source with the fish and shrimp inside, creating an excellent environment for birds to forage and inhabit. The relationship between agriculture, ponds, and natural ecology has evolved into a close symbiosis. In recent years, the number of ponds has rapidly decreased due to the decline of agriculture, fallow land, and land development, leading to habitat destruction and a corresponding reduction in bird populations. The pastoral beauty once part of the collective memory of residents is gradually disappearing from sight. The work "Shimmering Waves, Flitting White Shadows" by artist Hsu Chung-Chieh uses the egret, which coexists with the ponds, as the prototype for the artwork. In the early agricultural society, egrets were seen as guardians of crops and symbols of good fortune for rural communities, accompanying farmers as they worked from sunrise to sunset. During the spring plowing and autumn harvesting seasons, egrets can be seen strolling behind water buffaloes, pecking at the ground, akin to a serene rural landscape filled with contentment. Historically, the snow-white silhouette of the egret has inspired literati, exemplified by the work of Tang poet Li Bai in "Egret": "The egret descends to the autumn waters, flying alone as if falling into frost. The heart hears yet has not departed, standing alone by the sandbank." This beautifully depicts the elegant and poetic posture of the egret. The work stands at a height of 8.5 meters, creating a visual focal point on the flat landscape of the ponds. Whether driving along the outer ring road or traveling on Taiwan Railways through Fonggang, the massive presence of the artwork captures the attention of onlookers. Positioned along the sloped walkway connecting the upper and lower ponds, the artwork utilizes the unique environmental characteristics of the ponds and the reflections on the water's surface, allowing visitors to leisurely appreciate the piece and its reflections from different angles on the lakeside trail, achieving a borrowing effect. The action of the egret pecking for food cleverly links the visuals between the upper and lower ponds, enhancing the overall integrity of the Sanlian Pond landscape. The artwork naturally integrates into the pond landscape. The Fonggang area is characterized by a plateau terrain, with the installation site adjacent to the ponds. The surrounding landscape is gently sloping, but the northeast monsoon is strong; therefore, the artwork's hollow design reduces weight and mitigates wind threats while allowing for spatial penetration and a sense of visual lightness. The towering scale not only provides excellent viewing conditions but also creates a stark visual contrast with human proportions, highlighting human insignificance and encouraging humility toward nature and all living things. Historically, Fonggang was a remote rural area until the establishment of the Bogonggang Station after the northward expansion of the Taiwan Railways during the Showa era (in the 1920s). The area gradually began to form a town center, with commercial activities clustering around the old street. The development of the railway not only brought convenient transportation to the Fonggang area but also opened up diverse development possibilities due to the establishment of new machinery plants in the future. This public art project draws on local elements of Fonggang to embody its spirit and integrates with the area’s landscape conditions, hoping that the locally coexisting egrets will bring cohesion in memory and a fresh cultural vitality to the people of Fonggang. (Source of text and images: Cultural Affairs Bureau of the government)
