Another story of the Ketagalan people
Since Beitou and the art museum are so deeply connected, “Beitou” has become the token by which people get to know the museum. In other words, if you fancy learning about a different side of Beitou, come to Hong-Gah Museum.
“In Search of Tiger’s Claw—Where are the Ketagalan People?” was the second expo featuring Beitou’s Ketagalan Aborigines in a three-year exhibition plan.
As the earliest rulers of Beitou, the Ketagalan people have seen their cultural heritage swept away in the torrent of history through forced migrations, land acquisitions, and assimilation into the incoming Han Chinese culture.
The critical event which led to the creation of the exhibition occurred some years ago when the public cemetery for the Ketagalan people of Ki-Pataw (“the place of the witch”—the old Ketagalan name from which “Beitou” is derived) was expropriated by the city government to be turned into “Park 22.” The descendants of the local Ketagalan were not content to have their history violently erased, so they began a series of protests. In the end, although the name of the park was changed to “Ki-Pataw Shan Tseng Chi Park,” the more than 50-meter-long history and culture corridor inside the park completely lacked any mention of the area’s indigenous people.
To dispel the anger of the Aborigines, Hong-Gah Museum was commissioned by the Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs to retell the story of the Ketagalan in Beitou’s history by holding exhibitions, workshops, lectures, and the like.
For example, Baode Temple was an important place of faith for the Ketagalan of Ki-Pataw after they became sinicized, but faced a similar fate to the cemetery when it was torn down to build a metro station, creating a deep sense of grievance. “At the beginning, the temple elders were very reticent. They didn’t want to talk much about it, no matter what they were asked,” museum director Frankie Su recalls.
By having the museum curators and artists work untiringly to form amiable relations with the temple elders, the relocated temple not only became a crucial hub for historical documents, it is now also a key center for Hong-Gah Museum’s promotion of art education.
Artist Liang Ting-yu held a series of workshops at which the temple elders recounted local history and residents were invited to come and mold clay into sculptures representing “Baode Temple as they saw it.” Liang plans to digitize their works using 3D scanning and place replicas of them at the site of the original temple, and in the process ease some of the deep pain of its loss.
With aesthetics as the core, local studies as the path, and its deep local roots and rich culture, the existence of Hong-Gah has become a reason for enjoying life in Beitou.
In turning life experiences into works of art, this six-week ceramics class is a memorable experience for the students.
Ceramic artist Peng Chun-rong carefully removes each work from the kiln before revealing them to the expectant gazes of the teachers and students waiting outside.
Under the guidance of their teachers, students from the drama class at Beitou’s Fuxing High School scour the campus for scenes where they can stage their own dramatic creations.
The fertile lands of Beitou form a rich and beautiful landscape. Come to Hong-Gah where you can get a closer look!