Curator: Nakaw Putun
The Pulima Art Festival is the most prestigious indigenous contemporary art festival in Taiwan, and has embodied the indigenous cultural spirit and progress of contemporary art. The festival in 2018 adopts “Micawor” as the theme and aims to turn over fertile soil of the indigenous culture and arts through visual arts, performing arts, films, seminars, talks and workshops to connect international indigenous art communities and create brimming vitality for the future indigenous society.
Hundreds of thousands of years ago, the indigenous people’s ancestors had already inhabited the island of Taiwan. After several eras of the great floods, they developed rich and diverse cultures despite much hardship symbolized by the towering sea waves. However, starting from nearly four hundred years ago, the indigenous peoples underwent changes of the colonial governments, deprivation of traditional territories, disappearance of cultures and languages, and were forced into exile on their native land. It was only until 1980s that Taiwan witnessed the rise of the Indigenous Movement. The indigenous people began embracing and valuing their ancestral ways of life. Throughout the course of history, the reflexivity, creativity, integrity and motivation in “art” have been part of the developing indigenous society, encouraging people to observe, think and act in an innovative way.
“Micawor” starts with the highly spiritual era of the mythology, revisiting the source of the long indigenous history to understand how indigenous arts have inherited and passed down the legacy while transcending historical limitations to gain an independent site for future development through the evolving time and space. “Micawor” refers to the sustained positive force that is turning everything over within the context of the dramatic changes of the times. Reforms in society are opening up new paths for the development of the human race, and art is gaining detailed insight into the meaning of human existence while helping to cultivate a new vision for the world.
MICAWOR—2018 PULIMA Art Festival encompasses various events, and a major goal this year is international indigenous collaboration and connection. The events include an art exhibition of the twenty-one Pulima Art Award winners. The exhibition also features artworks by Sakuliu the winner of the 20th National Awards of Art and, by Labay Eyong, the two-time First Prize winner of the Pulima Art Award, and those by New Zealand Maori artist Lisa Reihana. This year, the festival also presents “a festival within the festival” and showcases Yirramboi First Nations Arts Festival, the premier international indigenous contemporary art festival in Melbourne, to demonstrate the subjective spirit and art scene of First Nations. Taiwanese performing arts groups, Bulareyaung Dance Company and TAI Body Theatre, respectively collaborate with New Zealand Maori choreographer Moss Patteron and First Nation performing artist Carly Sheppard. Meanwhile, the Pulima Art Festival this year also organizes “Performing Arts Competition” to encourage and discover excellent talents of emerging artists.
With “Micawor” as its theme, the 2018 Pulima Art Festival will surely stir the fertile soil of the indigenous culture and arts, creating fresh sprouts for a wonderful future of the indigenous community. Being part of this stirring process, we look forward to seeing the abundant fruits in the near future.