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.
Modernism arose during the period from the late 19th century to the early 1900s in response to ideological shifts caused by urbanization and the rapid social changes that came in its wake. Taiwan was also involved in this momentous era when beliefs and values crossed boundaries around the world. American modernism entered Taiwan via military and economic aid during the Cold War, when the world was divided into two camps. Suppressed by martial law, the trends of post-war Taiwanese literature, art, and society were led towards modernization by American modernism.
Co-organized by the Memorial Foundation of 228 and the National Museum of Taiwan Literature, "Literary Education of Modernist Youth-The U.S. Information Service and American Modernism in Taiwan" highlights the social, literary, and artistic climate which nurtured a generation. Through books, magazines, music, paintings, and other artistic mediums, this exhibition explores how modernism shaped the worldview of the Taiwanese intellectuals, while also providing deeper insight into how modernism came to gain unique characteristics in Taiwan. This historical dialogue between the USIS and Taiwan gives a glimpse into how cultural interactions between Taiwan and the international community facilitated the individualization of Taiwanese culture and its values. Through absorbing knowledge, imitation, and innovation, modernism evolved in Taiwan and blossomed into the new independent movement known as Taiwanese modernism.