An aural exhibition inspired by Beishan Broadcast Wall in Taiwan’s outlying Kinmen County is set to open at Studio 1 of Kunstquartier Bethanien Sept. 15 in Berlin as part of activities marking the 60th anniversary of the 823 Artillery War.
Co-initiated by Taiwan artist-curator Ada Kai-ting Yang with the support of the Ministry of Culture, “Sonic Territories for Peace” showcases the thoughts and feelings of creative talents on the psychological-warfare structure once used to blast anti-communist messages at the residents of Xiamen in China. The Kinmen leg of the exhibition, which concluded Aug. 26, featured Yang; visual and musical performing artist Chang Hsia-fei; pioneer sound artist Wang Fu-jui; and exhibition co-initiator and musician Augustin Maurs of France.
Yang said instead of focusing on the pain caused by war, the exhibition emphasizes blessings, peace and the need to cloak the former battlefield with a sense of spiritual calm. It is also an attempt to heighten international awareness of Kinmen’s complicated history and the development of democracy in Taiwan, she added.
The 823 Artillery War of 1958 saw more than 470,000 communist shells rain down on 150-square-kilometer Kinmen island situated 7 kilometers from Xiamen Harbor in China. Veterans commemorate the battle each year with tours of former defensive positions and visits to cemeteries to pay respects to fallen comrades.
According to Yang, recordings of Kinmen residents detailing life on the island, as well as the sounds of the waves, wind and other signature aspects of the local soundscape, will take center stage at the Berlin leg of the exhibition. These are to be complemented by an atmospheric video capturing the visual contrast between Beishan and the nearby shoreline.
Other highlights include a karaoke performance revolving around the songs of Teresa Teng by Chang; a performance art show using soil and stones from Kinmen by creator Ting Li-ping; a Morse code-based piece combining radio signals with electronica by Wang; and a miniscore drawing on the sublime power of Beishan by Maurs.
Teng, a beloved Taiwan singer who enjoyed peak fame in the 1970s and 1980s throughout the Chinese speaking world, was one of the main voices employed by the government in its cross-strait sonic attacks from Beishan. Sounds produced by 10-meter-high collection of 48 loudspeakers, which commenced operations in 1976, were thought to be heard up to 25 kilometers away on a clear day with light breeze. (CPY-E)
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