Nineteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

This paper examines a sea-centered socially engaged art project led by James Jack and Wei-Hsiu Tung (2019- ) spanning marine environments and archipelagos in Japan and Taiwan. The project fosters interdisciplinary collaboration among artists, researchers, and children to nurture oceanic stories beyond conventional historical and geographical frameworks. Embracing the 黒潮 (Kuroshio/Heichao) Current as our guiding teacher, this project challenges land-centric perspectives by embracing the fluidity of cultural exchanges within Austronesian communities. Artists are aware of the potential of art for opening up imagination and going into real worlds to influence people for sensitive and controversial issues such as the hidden history and ecological justice. Working with islanders’ creative storytelling is our center for shaping expanded understanding of cultural interflow. We organize school workshops both off and online, participatory drawings, environmental degradation site visits and exhibit drifting objects our socially-engaged art. As we share materials, letters and stories with each other together with movement of tides, it is vital to see how art can go into multi-worlds to bring transformations and sustenance. Our micro actions actively resist colonial ways of thinking through intimate encounters in a slow, caring manner focused on interconnected consciousness. In conclusion, this research shares lessons in how participatory ecological art creation can facilitate the building of relationships, inter-community empathy and care for marine environments.