Teng Chao-Ming's 'Rainy Night Flowers' Installation Reverses Taiwanese Identity Narratives at Cube Project Space
From 29 April to 2 July 2017, Cube Project Space in Taipei hosted an exhibition by Teng Chao-Ming, showcasing an installation based on the Taiwanese song 'Rainy Night Flowers', which was composed by Teng Yu-hsien in 1934. This song exists in nine lyrical adaptations across Taiwanese, Japanese, and Mandarin, highlighting various historical contexts. Teng's installation features a male voiceover that explores themes of parasitic existence, accompanied by over 100 mirrors arranged on six steel shelves, each inscribed with names of those connected to the song's legacy, thereby obscuring the viewers' reflections. The exhibition intentionally excludes archival materials and well-known tunes to strengthen its narrative. Often banned and later revived, the song represents Taiwanese unity and historical suffering, referred to as the 'Orphan of Asia'.
Key facts
- Exhibition dates: 29 April – 2 July 2017
- Venue: Cube Project Space, Taipei
- Artist: Teng Chao-Ming
- Focus: Taiwanese song 'Rainy Night Flowers' composed by Teng Yu-hsien
- Song origin: First released by Columbia Records in Taiwan in 1934
- Historical context: Composed during Japan's occupation, revised by Imperial Japanese Army for war promotion
- Lyrical versions: Nine versions in Taiwanese, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese
- Installation: Over 100 mirrors on steel shelves with names of historical figures
Entities
Artists
- Teng Chao-Ming
- Teng Yu-hsien
- David Joselit
Institutions
- Cube Project Space
- Columbia Records
- Imperial Japanese Army
- ArtReview Asia
Locations
- Taipei
- Taiwan
- Japan
- China