Nangan 26 – Art Corner On the Sea

Along the river of time, everything is a part of history. We believe that the people’s willingness to understand a historic event is the best way to have a dialogue with history. Nangan Site 26 consists of material parts that were constructed for military missions, including military buildings, underground tunnels, machine gun forts, forts, and trenches. This space carries the memories of the numerous soldiers and officers that used it and traces of the passage of time. The integration of physical elements and memories forms the key elements of Nangan Site 26. Each of the sites exhibit unique characteristics. Against this backdrop, a pertinent question to ask is how history should be connected to best preserve it.

We believe that the key measure is preserving a historic site to the greatest extent. As stated in the previous paragraph, a site comprises both hardware and software. The building is the foundation on which everything else exists; thus, it must be preserved such that it is recognizable as an element that is still connected to the past but also the present and the future.

For the reuse of a historic site, we believe that in addition to its spatial characteristics, the key is to incorporate appropriate functions that enable the sustainable operation and maintenance of the site. The ability to gaze at and observe a historical space is crucial. Thus, spatial content must be added with this element in mind to enable visitors to directly experience the historic site.

Blindly preserving everything is not the optimal measure for old buildings. Specifically, unique bases such as military spaces were constructed with certain roundaboutness, obscurity, and inaccessibility. To convert these spaces into visitor-friendly sites, modification and renovation are required. Specifically, the old buildings were constructed using sea sand, which led to rebar corrosion. Because we must consider both site experience and environmental safety, the existing structures must be altered and reshaped. Because every action creates historic imprints, alteration must be made without compromising contemporariness. This approach allows people to identify original and new elements and the methods by which the old and new are connected. Accordingly, by realistically applying existing technology and engineering methods, clarity is achieved, and history can be connected with the present and future.

An art and cultural base connected to the ocean and sky

Because of its location and spatial characteristics, Nangang Site 26 is a highly suitable site in Nangang/Matsu for promoting arts and culture. First, while the site is located near an airport and a major village (Chiehshou Village), it still retains sufficient remoteness to establish its own atmosphere. Second, the spatial form and scale of the site can be flexibly adjusted; thus, it is suitable for holding small-scale arts and cultural events. Moreover, none of Matsu’s four townships and five islands has a regular site for art exhibitions and performances and cultural creations. Thus, Nangan Site 26 is suitable for development as a space for arts and cultural exchanges within and among the islands of Matsu. This can lead to the development of local creations and produce creative results. To establish an arts and cultural site at Nangang Site 26, two requirements must be met:

When spaces with excellent resources are reused for sightseeing, people generally assume that they are being developed as tourist sites. However, for Matsu, travel season only lasts half a year. Furthermore, because of limitations pertaining to the number of daily flights and boat trips, this site cannot be redeveloped solely for touristic purposes. Local residents should also be provided access to the site to ensure the its consistent use throughout the year. Tourist experiences that resonate emotionally with people are often achieved through in-depth participation in local life. Therefore, to reactivate this site and transform it into an indispensable feature/highlight of Matsu tourism, the excellent sceneries of the site and its connection with the lives of local islanders must be highlighted to provide constant vitality to the site.

The birth of a space and the management of a site require favorable conditions with respect to personnel and circumstances. Sustaining a site requires the continual input of resources. However, in the short term, the funding and human resources available for operations and maintenance are limited. Furthermore, time is required for Matsu islanders to build up cultural energy. Given these realistic considerations, we believe that the initial model implemented for the Arts and Culture Base at the Cape should be operated as a low-maintenance model. The model should remain financially feasible until the cultural energy of the island reaches a threshold that allows for development to progress to the next stage.