Text for FAC's 10th exchange with Asialink and TAV

Coincedentally, food and fabric become our common interest. Years later, I started an organic garden in Treasure Hill artist village and community in Taipei, while Prilla turned herself to a farmer at her home. I remember a funny conversation between me and Marco Marcon, the director of IASKA, on the road from Perth to Kellerberrin. He asked, “You don't drive? Is that Taipei people do the same, or you are the strange people?” My reply (proudly): “I'm the strange people.” Then he asked, “Do you cook?” I said, “No, my mother does.” Lastly I said, “It seems a big waste for me to come to Perth since I don't swim, and you have such many beautiful beaches here.” Marco laughed and said, “OK, Julie, I got an art project for you. You learn cooking, driving, and swimming at IASKA.” I love this conversation, because it shows the free spirit of the W.A. art world, and encourage every artist to pursue each own's goal with no restrictions.

剛巧，食物和布料是我們的共同興趣。幾年之後，我在台北寶藏巖藝術村和社區一起開闢了一個生態農園，Prilla則在家鄉當起了農夫。我還記得剛到伯斯的時候，IASKA總監Marco Marcon載我從伯斯到Kellerberrin的路上，有一段有趣的對話。他問我說：「你不開車？是台北人都不開車，還是你是怪人？」我跩跩的回答：「我是怪人。」他又問：「你自己做飯嗎？」我說：「不，我媽掌廚。」最後我說：「我來伯斯似乎太浪費了，因為我不會游泳，而你們這裡有那麼多漂亮的沙灘。」Marco大笑說：「OK，Julie，我替你想到一個藝術計畫。你就在IASKA學開車、煮飯和游泳！」我超喜歡這段對話，因為它幽默地顯示了W.A.藝術圈的自由意志和精神，以及毫不保留地鼓舞著每一位藝術家去追求自己的理想目標。

The above was actually cited from a longer article prepared for the exchange. The original is below: 

The environment in W.A. is the most impressive scene of my residency. The enormousness, the dryness, and the heat contribute to the extraordinary landscape which quite differs from where I come from. Taiwan is a small island with a big population of 23.58 million (in the year of 2018). The neighbourhood I live in are a group of high-rise buildings with apartments housing more than 400 families.

When I first arrived in the residency of W.A., I was fascinated by the flat field, and the seemingly infinate horizon. Farmers introduced me to their farming and harvest. I was told the story of how colonization impacted the natural landscape in W.A. and now the farmers are trying to restore the land by growing indigenous plants to hold water and prevent further solinization. These experiences inspired me to make works related to environment. One of the works titled “Too Salty” was shown in the exhibition of “Beyond the Boundary” at IASKA, Kellerberrin. I asked residents from the community to make one salty dish each for me to address the issue of food and solinization in W.A. Since then, evironment and community has become two major concerns of my following practice.

My time of residency partly corresponded with Indonesian artist Prilla Tania. Since Kellerberrin is a quiet small town, we spent almost all the time together, visiting the field and the community, driving out and doing grocery, cooking and eating dinner. She asked me to help her with the photography work of “Hello and Goodbye”. I had her making one salty dish for me. We collaborated well and this friendship continues.

In 2008, Prilla and I paid mutual visit to each other's country. I took a vacation to Indonesia during the FAC residency (thanks to FAC for allowing me to go out and explore freely.) She came to Taiwan on a residency program provided by TAV. We had a joint exhibition again. Besides each one's individual works, Prilla suggested a collaborative project which involved children from agricultural villages and migrants from Southeast Asian countries. We had the particapants making patchworks with fabric cutting into patterns of food. The result was shown in the joint exhibition of “Ze Hui Lai” in TAV.

Coincedentally, food and fabric become our common interest. Years later, I started an organic garden in Treasure Hill artist village and community in Taipei, while Prilla turned herself to a farmer at her home. I remember a funny conversation between me and Marco Marcon, the director of IASKA, on the road from Perth to Kellerberrin. He asked, “You don't drive? Is that Taipei people do the same, or you are the strange people?” My reply (proudly): “I'm the strange people.” Then he asked, “Do you cook?” I said, “No, my mother does.” Lastly I said, “It seems a big waste for me to come to Perth since I don't swim, and you have such many beautiful beaches here.” Marco laughed and said, “OK, Julie, I got an art project for you. You learn cooking, driving, and swimming at IASKA.” I love this conversation, because it shows the free spirit of the W.A. art world, and encourage every artist to pursue each own's goal with no restrictions.

About The Artist

Julie Chou, Taiwan artist, based in Taipei.