FTV unveils ‘People of Taiwan,’ an art installation celebrating democracy

FTV unveils ‘People of Taiwan,’ an art installation celebrating democracy

2024-01-25

A large-scale art installation was inaugurated outside FTV’s Linkou headquarters on Thursday. Titled “People of Taiwan,” the piece consists of 35 statues, representing Indigenous people, farmers, merchants, and engineers, as well as Taiwan’s democracy pioneers. The work was created by acclaimed sculptor Fang Hui-kuang, to capture the spirit of Taiwan and its democracy.

Braving the cold, dignitaries stand in file to do the honors. There’s FTV President Dorothy Wang, FTV General Manager Liao Ji-fang, and distinguished guests including Presidential Office Secretary-General Lin Chia-lung, former foreign minister Mark Chen, and former Vice Premier Yeh Chu-lan, the widow of pro-democracy activist Cheng Nan-jung. Together, they inaugurate a public art installation titled “People of Taiwan.” It is a moment for the books.

The resonant voice of Yang lie fills the room as he sings “Formosa,” commemorating the people who paved the way for Taiwan’s democracy. The installation is the work of acclaimed sculptor Fang Hui-kuang. It’s composed of 35 figures and was unveiled to the public on Thursday.

Lin Chia-lung
Presidential office secretary-general
The artistry of this installation shows the eternal spirit of our forebears, which is also the spirit of Taiwan. Of course, FTV is the “Eye of Taiwan,” and the eyes are the windows to the soul.

Mark Chen
Former foreign minister
Art can leave an impression on humanity and on future generations. Literature and the arts can be said to have an incredible influence on us.

Ye Chu-lan
Former vice premier
The Taiwanese people’s struggle for democracy is recorded here. This artwork at the FTV headquarters is a lasting monument that will allow everyone to understand what transpired in Taiwan’s history.

The installation is located outside FTV’s headquarters in New Taipei’s Linkou District. Rendered in lifelike detail, the statues capture the spirit of many prominent pro-democracy figures.

Dorothy Wang
FTV chair
Freedom and democracy were not given to us by the heavens. They were fought for by the people. Our forebears struggled hard, and many of them have already passed. With this artwork, we can keep their spirit alive.

The sculptor Fang says the work includes not only democracy’s pioneers, but also Taiwan’s ordinary folk.

Fang Hui-kuang
Sculptor
They represent Indigenous people, scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants, engineers, families… There is even a person holding a child high up, so that the child can see what’s happening in Taiwan. If you look closely, you’ll notice there is an elementary school student as well as a student from Taipei First Girls High School standing at the front. If Taiwan wants to continue on a democratic path, it needs to get young people involved. Taiwan’s pursuit of freedom and democracy requires the involvement of people from every generation.

With his skillful hands, Fang conveyed his love for Taiwan. The work will stand sentry outside FTV, carrying on the spirit of democracy.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

永恆信念! "台灣人民"公共藝術銅雕揭幕民主前輩齊見證

2024-01-25

雕塑大師方惠光，向來以大型公共藝術作品聞名，這回他推出全新作品，叫做「台灣人民」，總共有35件作品，要展現台灣追求自由民主的精神，而這些銅雕就陳列在民視林口總部廣場，今天(25日)特別舉辦揭幕剪綵，不少民主前輩都來親自見證。

不畏低溫，民視董事長王明玉、總經理廖季方、還有總統府秘書長林佳龍、前外交部長陳唐山、鄭南榕遺孀葉菊蘭等重量級貴賓一字排開，為’’台灣人民’’公共藝術銅雕剪綵，眾人見證這歷史性的一刻。

鐵肺歌王楊烈，展現渾厚歌喉，用’’美麗島’’這首歌，來緬懷民主前輩。由雕塑大師方惠光推出最新作品，以「台灣人民」為主題，35件銅雕首度曝光。

[[總統府秘書長林佳龍]]
“透過這種雕塑美學，去呈現這些前輩永遠的精神，這也是台灣的精神，當然民視是台灣的眼睛，眼睛就是靈魂之窗。”

[[前外交部長陳唐山]]
“藝術留下來，對人類、世代留下來的印象，文學、藝術這方面我能說這個影響是非常非常大。”

[[鄭南榕遺孀葉菊蘭]]
“記錄台灣人民爭取自由民主這樣的過程，我們在民視園區，留下永遠的讓大家來了解，台灣歷史發生過什麼事情。”

’’台灣人民’’公共藝術銅雕作品，就在民視林口總部廣場，人物神韻、姿態栩栩如生，像極了不少民主前輩。

[[民視董事長王明玉]]
“所有的自由、民主不是從天生下來的，都是人民打拼出來，所以這個先人打拼，因為很多人已經凋零，所以我覺得說有這個東西，可以把我們的精神傳承下來。”

這些青銅雕塑作品幕後推手，藝術家方惠光強調，作品中除了有為台灣民主自由奮鬥的一群人，也包括年輕人

[["台灣人民公共藝術"創作者方惠光]]
"原住民、士農工商、工程師、家庭，甚至抱一個小孩站高高，讓他看台灣發生的事情。如果你們注意看的話，我有把一個小學生，跟一個北一女的學生站在前面，台灣追求自由民主的這條路，需要年輕人投入，台灣人追求自由民主的信念，需要一代一代的人，繼續努力。"

方惠光用藝術張力，展現對台灣土地的愛，台灣的眼睛’’民視’’也將這份民主精神，永遠傳承。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週日至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

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U.S. lawmakers Ami Bera and Mario Diaz-Balart met President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei on Thursday. They are the first U.S. congressional delegation to visit Taiwan since the general election. Later in the day, the two of them met President-elect Lai Ching-te and incoming Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim. Lai reiterated his commitment to maintaining the cross-strait status quo.

Congressional Taiwan Caucus Co-chairs Ami Bera and Mario Diaz-Balart are on their second day in Taiwan. In the morning, they were warmly welcomed at the Presidential Office.

Tsai Ing-wen
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I would hereby like to thank the U.S. Congress for its longstanding bipartisan support for Taiwan-U.S. relations. I hope a bill to expedite double-tax relief between Taiwan and the U.S. will be passed soon. Through our bilateral exchanges, we hope to expand Taiwan’s connections with other countries, to strengthen the democratic coalition, and to achieve global prosperity and development.

Mario Diaz-Balart
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But what this delegation demonstrates clearly is that there’s absolute solid bipartisan support for Taiwan, for its prosperity and for its security. And we listen when you’ve talked about the issue of double taxation and we hope that soon we will be able to, once again, deliver good news on that front as well.

After meeting with the president, the delegation personally congratulated Lai Ching-te and Hsiao Bi-khim for winning the presidential election. Lai repeated his stance on cross-strait relations.

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Mr. President-elect, in your words you talked about the peace, prosperity and stability of the region, and that is exactly what we’re here to represent as the United States Congress. In the 21st century there’s no place for aggressive action, we have to learn to live together, to trade together, to work together, to solve the world’s problems together.

This is the first U.S. congressional delegation to visit Taiwan since the Jan. 13 election. Earlier this week, the U.S. Navy sent a warship through the Taiwan Strait for the first time since the election. An official statement said the transit demonstrated the U.S.’ commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations. It added that no member of the international community should be intimidated or coerced.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Meet Yuty Huang, plant stylist

Today we take you to meet Yuty Huang, a plant stylist. Before embarking on this rewarding career, she was a fashion designer. Now, she gives people advice on how to arrange plants and decorate their homes. FTV reporter Stephany Yang caught up with Huang to find out more.

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Yuty Huang
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The easiest thing is that during Spring Festival, you can go to some orchid gardens, or if you’re in Taipei, you can visit the Jianguo Flower Market. There are a lot of varieties. Don’t think about how long it will take you to grow them. Just start by experimenting.

Taiwan is globally renowned for its orchid industry, due to its many flower varieties and advanced horticultural technology. In Huang’s classes, she teaches students how to cultivate orchids, and to arrange them in the best way for each home. Huang says orchids are popular flowers because there are so many varieties. They also last a long time in a home setting.

Yuty Huang
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As I said, there are many varieties of orchids, and the varieties reproduce with each other to form unique flowers.

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Yuty Huang
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When people first take up plant cultivation, it’s usually to decorate their homes. For me, that’s like dressing up. I will pay special attention to the texture of each plant, which is like fabric. I’ll look at the texture of the petals, and whether the color matches the home. It’s like matching a sofa and looking at whether the color is suitable for a space.

First as a fashion designer and now as a plant stylist, Huang hopes to help clients appreciate nature and create a beautiful home environment.

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If you’ve ever been to the far south of Taiwan in winter, you might have noticed an interesting sight. The people of Hengchun Township often weigh down their items with heavy rocks, to keep them from being blown away by the wind. Market stalls, tables, and even scooters are all at the mercy of sudden gales. The winds are caused by geography. Winter monsoon winds, blowing over the central mountain range, accelerate where the mountains dip down to the sea at Hengchun. The local people have a special name for the northeast monsoon: the “wind that comes off the mountains.”

A Hengchun night market. Each table at this stall has a big rock sitting on it. Diners are enjoying their snacks right next to the rocks, but this tourist is perplexed. She’s laughing as she films the video, wondering what on earth is going on?

Member of public
They’re heavy, stop the tables getting blown away by the wind.

The rocks aren’t here to deter would-be table-flippers. The northeast monsoon winds are too strong here in Pingtung’s Hengchun Township. This stall owner is afraid the tables might get blown away. Even the lids of the cooking pots and the signs are weighed down.

Member of public
Everyone working here has to pick things up – plates, tables – it’s a shame.

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Market stall owner
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