Exhibits
Special Exhibition｜Massacre of stations – Revisiting the February 28 Incident
Update：
2021-02-14-2
The vicissitudes of life witnessed by railway stations are the memories that cannot be erased from the minds of Taiwanese people.
Massacre of stations – Revisiting the February 28 Incident is an exhibition that is curated with a focus on what happened at and around the three railway stations of Badu Station, Chiayi Station and Kaohsiung Station, and illustrates how the incident unraveled at these locations. Through the literature, pictures and oral stories surrounding these stations, it is hoped that the truth of their history can be revealed in a clearer way.
The February 28 Incident was not only a resistance movement ignited by a murder committed by a contraband tobacco investigator, and its range was not limited to an ethnic clash between locals and newcomers. The development of the incident was related to the overall dynamics of Taiwanese society and culture and was intertwined with the actions, decisions and ideas of a variety of individuals and organizations. Today, now that these stations have become tourist destinations, it is hoped that by reconstructing and reinterpreting the historical scenes, visitors of the exhibition can understand how the victims of state violence were persecuted, as well as appreciate the historical value inherent in the railway stations in terms of the history of human rights abuses.
Located in the Nanhai Academy surrounded by a humanistic aura, the building of the National 288 Memorial Museum wan built in 1931 when Taiwan was under Japanese rule. It used to be the Taiwan Education Association Building as well as the venue for the Taiwan Provincial Assembly and later for the United States Information Service; as such, it bore witness to Taiwan's turbulent modern history.
History of the Building
The Taiwan Education Association Building was Taiwan's first modernized exhibition hall for educational events of all stripes and art exhibitions such as Taiwan Fin Arts Exhibition, rendering itself the cradle of Taiwan's art development during the Japanese colonial period. After the end of the Second World War, the building was converted into the venue for the Taiwan Provincial Assembly, serving as the shrine of democracy in post-war Taiwan.
The building was also one of the historic sites of the 228 Incident, granting it a firsthand look over the turn of the social climate in Taiwan. The building resumed its task of hosting art exhibitions after the United States information Service moved into it, serving not only as a congenial platform for artists to strut their stuff, but also as an effective channel for introducing Western avant-garde art that granted the youth direct access to the occidental culture. Owing to the advocacy and endeavor from various sectors of the Taiwan society, the National 228 Memorial Museum has now settled in this historic building whose moment of glory comes into view again with the ensuing restoration and re-utilization.
Architectural Features
The architecture of the National 228 Memorial Museum marks a perfect fusion of classical traditions and modernism. The amazing combination of clean lines and classical ornament managed to form an architectural style with great elegance and solemnity. As early as in the 1930s, architect Ide Kaoru had employed ingenious techniques of modern design, allowing this building to ventilate, illuminate and insulate in an automatic and natural manner. Such a subtle and stylish design not only falls in line with the contemporary thinking of human-environment symbiosis, but also turns the museum into an environment-friendly and sustainable building.
Let's relive the historic moments of this building with the new-media display, through which we will capture the trajectory of Taiwan's modern history and experience the time elapsed in this graceful building full of stories.