The “Open Island” team, composed of curators Chi Meng-Che, Wei Tzu-Yun, and Cheng Yi-Hsin, recently held its inaugural overseas project titled “Free Admission.” This event featured a documentary screening at the Thomas VanDyke Gallery in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, showcasing four distinct short films that resonate deeply with Taiwan’s local memories.

The “Free Admission” screening marks the team’s first foray into such an initiative, featuring works from three Taiwanese creators that delve into themes of cultural concern. Among the films presented are “The Touch of Ink,” by Lu Chih-Kai, which explores the connection between religion and life experiences through local folklore in Madou; “The Rice Planters,” a documentation of Taroko youth returning to their hometown for farming by Li Chieh-Chun; and two pieces by Tsai Hsin-Ying that capture everyday life and tradition within local markets—”Market at Half-Dusk” and “Health and Happiness Dance Troupe.”

Reflecting on the journey of the “Open Island” initiative, Chi Meng-Che shared that the team spent around four to five months preparing for the screening. Since each member has their own professional commitments, they dedicated a significant amount of time to shaping the exhibition’s vision and determining its scale before finally securing the venue just a month prior. Fortunately, while passing by the Thomas VanDyke Gallery in Brooklyn, he crossed paths with Ivy VanDyke, the gallery’s Taiwanese owner, and they immediately clicked. The gallery’s schedule was fortuitously open, allowing the team to overcome initial hurdles.

Ivy VanDyke smiled as she recounted their serendipitous meeting, noting that the gallery has consistently aimed to promote Taiwanese artistic works, often inviting artists from Taiwan to showcase their talents in New York. She expressed her excitement about collaborating with the “Open Island” team to highlight Taiwan’s potential to international audiences. Wei Tzu-Yun reflected on the response from artists when inquiring about their interest in participating in the exhibition, noting that they seemed unfazed. Many artists had previous international exhibition experience, indicating a growing confidence among Taiwanese artists in showcasing their work, which she found encouraging.

After viewing the four films, Mei Hua Lee, the Executive Director of the Taiwanese American Arts Council (TAAC), expressed her admiration for the way all the works addressed the theme of local memory, highlighting “The Touch of Ink” as particularly impactful. She mentioned that the intertwining of religion and temple culture in Taiwan is not only a unique local imagery and folk culture but also serves to influence human nature. She appreciated Lu Chih-Kai’s exploration of faith and local memory.

Dr. Ken Howell, a senior editor at TAAC, shared his fondness for “The Touch of Ink,” emphasizing that he also enjoyed the portrayal of community life in “Health and Happiness Dance Troupe,” a film that reveals aspects of life only closely connected authors and community members can express.

Audience members Song Yi-Hsuan and Chen Kai-Ting, friends of Chi Meng-Che and fellow Taiwanese expatriates in New York, made the trip from Queens to show their support and offered positive feedback on the works. Song Yi-Hsuan found the image of a shopkeeper chewing betel nut in “Market at Half-Dusk” particularly relatable, while Chen Kai-Ting reflected on her homesickness while watching the film.