The Reappearance of Taiwan in the 17th Century ：Case Study of Two Exhibitions

• Main Authors: Wang Lifen, 王麗芬
• Other Authors: 張譽騰
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2004
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/03519516067056863526

碩士 === 臺南藝術學院 === 博物館學研究所 === 92 === The history of Taiwan in the 17th century as a theme of exhibitions has its origin in the Japanese period. After 1945, exhibitions of this theme were seen only sporadically within the island. The situation started to change from 2000 on. With the yearly holding of large-scale exhibitions of artifacts from the Dutch-Cheng period, the history of Taiwan in the 17th century has become the focus of history museums across the island. This museological phenomenon culminated in the two exhibitions in 2003. In Taipei, the Exhibition ‘Formosa: Taiwan, Holland, and East Asia in the 17th Century’ held by the National Palace Museum received enthusiastic support from the intellectual circle as well as government and closed in consummation. This successful experience was soon transplanted to Tainan, the main stage of the historical period in question. Urgencies from the city’s government and non-governmental circles finally led to the holding of the Exhibition ‘Ilha Formoas: the Re-discovery of Zeelandia’, a modified version of her counterpart in Taipei, at the National Tainan Social Education Hall. The two exhibitions drew not only huge audience but also extensive social attention. Such a phenomenon, however, has so far received fewer academic discussions than it should have. Combining academic analysis with the researcher’s personal experience in the planning of ‘the Re-discovery of Zeelandia’, the existing thesis explores and compares some integral elements contributing to the whole presentation of the exhibitions, including the ideas of the curators, relationship between the exhibits and the theme, arrangement of exhibition halls, educational activities, and publications. By doing so, this research pinpoints the idea of the curator the determining factor of the whole presentation. This explains why the two exhibitions with the same organizer, the same topic, and over 70% identical exhibits present to the audience two different faces of early Taiwan. The idea of an exhibition depends on the historical perspectives of its curator. The physical presentation of an exhibition reveals the angle adopted by the curator to interpret the exhibits. The exhibition in Taipei has presented to the world an oriental island called Formosa as seen from the ships of VOC. Whereas, the exhibition in Tainan has shown the audience what Taiwan was in the eyes of those who lived at Tayouan in the 17th century. This conclusion is, of course, reached by the personal observation of the researcher. It is reasonable to expect the audience to have their own interpretations.