Flowing with the Waves @Tainan Art Museum, June-September 2026

This exhibition originates from the transnational research project “Ocean-Centered Socially Participatory Art: Critical Thinking and Reimagining Cultural Exchange in the Kuroshio Zone,” initiated by curators and artists in 2019.

Through research, art performances, and participatory creation, it evokes reflection on island community connections, the Kuroshio cultural sphere, and multi-species relationships, translating into actions of concern for the marine and island environment. The exhibition is divided into three sub-themes: “Multi-Species Dialogue,” “Ocean-Centered Asian Socially Participatory Art Practices,” and “Flow as a Method: Cross-Cultural Marine Narratives.”

It also presents participatory public art projects that have been ongoing since 2019, integrating stories and images created collaboratively by cross-cultural island communities into the exhibition. It invites viewers to imagine the symbiosis, migration, and marine environmental ethics between humans and non-human species, and to rethink the messages conveyed by the Kuroshio culture, wind, ocean currents, and other multi-species interactions.

When we use the ocean as the center of our thinking, we perceive that the ocean has no borders, and that individuals are not isolated from the world, but intimately connected with other communities, materials, and species. Amidst the environmental crises brought about by urbanization and industrialization, this exhibition attempts to place these issues within the context of shared experiences within the Asian and Kuroshio communities.

Imagine ourselves aboard a drifting sailboat, wondering where we will end up. Through performances and collaborative art creation with the community, this exhibition shares stories about the ocean, inviting viewers on an island-hopping journey and engaging in art action using “flow” as a method. We welcome you to join this ongoing dialogue!