2024/07/04 By Media  Li Zu dong

shadow puppets in front of the shadow window come alive. The artist behind the shadow puppet uses skilled “skills” to stack “memory” to give the shadow puppets a soul. The Kaohsiung Municipal Museum of History invites photographer Chen Jingbao and artist Wu Xiuming to launch "Echo·Sound-The Cross-Domain Shadow Puppetry" in the special exhibition room of the Kaohsiung City Shadow Puppet Theater from July 4, 2024 to June 1, tomorrow (2025). Art" special exhibition presents the "skills" and "memories" of traditional shadow puppet troupes - Yongxingle Shadow Puppet Troupe, Tung Hwa Shadow Puppet Troupe, Kaohsiung Shadow Puppet Troupe and other artists through contemporary art such as photography and sound.

At the opening ceremony today (4th), photographer Chen Jingbao, artist Wu Xiuming, Taiwan Fuxing Cultural and Educational Foundation, Ruiyi Educational Foundation, Yongxingle Shadow Puppet Troupe, Kaohsiung Shadow Puppet Theater Troupe, Donghua Shadow Puppet Troupe, and the Deputy Director of the Kaohsiung City Government Cultural Bureau Jian Meiling, Director of the Kaohsiung Municipal Museum of History Li Wenhuan, as well as schools that have long promoted shadow puppetry and cultural and historical workers who care about local development were present to congratulate and pay their respects.

Chen Jingbao explained that both shadow puppetry and photography are related to light and shadow. Shadow puppetry is the vibration and pattern of light and shadow. Photography condenses light and shadow and at the same time freezes memory. Through the original pinhole photography method, another kind of personal experience of light and shadow can be re-established and felt. I hope that through the video, I can see the original intention and persistence of three generations of shadow puppet artists.

Wu Xiuming mentioned that the distance between the rapid social changes and traditional culture is gradually getting further away. He observed that shadow puppet artists use light, shadow and sound to highlight the characters and make the story complete, which directly touches the audience at the scene and is very powerful. Therefore, he transformed the ups and downs and characteristics of the sound into colorful "color images".
Assistant Manager Wu Xingzong said that although Taiwan Fuxing is already the world's leading brand of door locks, in line with the original intention of giving back to the society, it has long been horizontally connected with the locals and conveyed the beauty of Okayama. Thanks to the artist's persistence, through the artist's different Perspective, get to know shadow puppetry again.

Deputy Director Chien Meiling mentioned that the Shadow Puppet Theater is the only museum in Taiwan with the theme of shadow puppetry, and the "Echo" exhibition records the intangible assets of precious intangible cultural assets. Thanks to the perseverance of shadow puppet artists, through cross-border cooperation, they have reached out to all generations and ethnic groups and brought unique imagination. The beauty of shadow puppetry has entered daily life.



NEWS source：https://focusnews.com.tw/2024/07/593627/