Art action｜walking in the mountains: life drawing in the mountains

The project carried out an art action "walking in the mountains: life drawing in the mountains", inviting 30 participants to enter the mountains together, including students, artists, and elders. They came from different regions and have different cultural backgrounds. The action took place in the mountains with the concept of "life drawing".

This documentation of "lohizaw kako:ol" art action "walking in the mountains: sketching in the mountains", invited interested participants to record the ancient roads by the method of "life drawing". Participants used sketching, writing, body performances and other methods to sketch and compose a life drawing that is different from the Indigenous perspective.

The blessing ceremony for our artistic action

Walking in the Mountains

A very subtle experience. Just like this, 30 people slowly entered the mountain forest. The group of people entered a depth that had not been disturbed for a long time. Thanks for the generosity of elders to share, and thanks for the forest to accommodate us.

We don't just walk in the mountains, we sketch in the mountains.

The action of "life drawing" brings calmness to every participants. At this moment, we are all part of the mountain.

With "return" as an art action, as a new methodology to face historical and cultural issues, the cooperation between return and the art provides inspiring creativity.

(Grand photograph)

Those participants have experienced the migration routes through their own perspectives which is different from mine as a member of the community (an insider).

The outcome of our artistic action

We don't just walk in the mountains, we sketch in the mountains.

Artists were broght to the spot (mountain forest space), to calm the minds, as well as, to record this ancient road in the mountains and forests using the creative methods familiar to them, including writing, watercolor, sketching, and improvising with body performances.

One of the artists, Chen Liyu (陳麗玉) , gathered water while passing a stream on the ancient road during this action. She marked the location data of the stream in the follow-up exhibition. Using the "river" as an interface to explain the relationship between water(river) and SaySiyat migration with delicate sensibility. Through her observation, I also see different scenery on the ancient migration route.

Sketch by Kao Jun-Honn
Sketch by Cheng Wen-Haw
Sketch by Wang Haw-Yu
Art Installation by Chen Li-Yu
Sketch from hewen a ta:in tawtawazay
Sketch from Lin Yen-Hsiang
Sketch by Lin Ting-Wei, Hsieh Yi-Hwa
Art Installation by Chiu Ching-Ting
Photograph by Chiu Ching-Ting
Mobile phone graphics by Liu Shu-Yu