Farm for Change - Cheng-Jen Hung

Cheng-Jen Hung Copyright © and all rights reserved

Born 1960, in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Hung’s creative career spans nearly 40 years, which began with his first camera purchase in 1984. He is a technician at the CPC Corporation, and is therefore coined a “blue collar artist.” His work expresses deep concern over the land and environment, as well as the impact brought upon humans by politics and social change. In the late 1990s, he began to experiment with more personal, expressive forms of photography, often incorporating techniques of collage and performance by himself as the protagonist in his images.

He has exhibited in Taiwan and internationally at the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Pingyao International Photography Festival in China, and Maison Européenne de la photographie in Paris. His works are in the permanent collections of museums in Taiwan and abroad. Hung has followed the resettlement of Hongmaogang Village for decades, a subject which was the major component in his most recognized series—Place of Melancholy. Today he continues to care for Taiwan and its people but expands his subject to topics of contemporary political and cultural issues, as seen in his latest and ongoing series—Formosa Dystopia.

Place of Melancholy

This is a series of works with the focus on Hongmaogang in Kaohsiung, a traditional fishing village that had a history of nearly 400 years but was forced into extinction.

In 1967, because of the expansion of the second harbor of Kaohsiung Port, Hongmaogang was imposed upon a long-term ban on new buildings and a plan to relocate the village over the coming 40 years. Amidst the heated discussions and protests about the relocation of Hongmaogang, I spent over a decade starting from the 90’s recording what was happening in Hongmaogang and, as a result, had long-term interactions with the villagers. Their anxiety and helplessness about their future resonated with me significantly during the process of documentation.

In 2007, organized by several image artists in Kaohsiung, a farewell ceremony was held for Hongmaogang to commemorate the last moment of this old fishing village with a history of vicissitudes. The atmosphere at the ceremony struck a chord with my pursuit of possibilities in the art of imagery over the past many years and inspired me to convert from pure photographic documentation to artistic creation with bold cutting, twisting, wrinkling and collage of photos of myself and photos of Hongmaogang. By creating such a series of 3D photomontage works, I attempt to create a sense of synchronicity with multiple spaces merged into one, a sense of penetrating clarity despite changes of time, and a sens of ambiguity about confirmation and recognition. I intend to connect the feelings among Hongmaogang villagers of helplessness and powerless about the loss of their hometown, presenting the emotions of sadness, bitterness and anguish that thousands of villagers experienced after they were deprived of their land and memories. Through the distortion and destruction of images, I want to express the sorrow and reluctance of these villagers and reveal the problems of people being forced to leave their own land.

The extinction of a village is not only a disruption to individuals and society but also a subversion to the natural harmony and sacred order. It is also an insult to the beliefs of the villagers and a disgrace to their ancestors. It destroys the possibilities of passing down memories and all the above-mentioned fundamentals based on which the local society was established.

Place of Melancholy 01

臺灣異托邦-長照2.0

臺灣異托邦-破碎的彩虹

臺灣異托邦-向莫那魯道致敬

Place of Melancholy 05

Place of Melancholy 06

Place of Melancholy 08

Place of Melancholy 12