(Diepholz, Germany, Sep 30) Taipei 101, the paradigm
of global supertall green buildings, has collaborated with Taiwanese sculpture
maestro Kang Muxiang since 2013, recycling and reutilizing retired cables of
the world’s fastest elevators for environmental-friendly artistic creations,
turning discarded steel cables that had carried over 6 million people into
compelling works of steel sculptures. In addition to the “Infinity Life” that
stands in front of Taipei 101, Master Kang’s collection of sculptures has also
been invited to exhibitions in major international cities, such as New York,
Paris, and Berlin; some of these works are in permanent collections in
Karlsruhe in Germany and the Twin Oaks Estate in Washington D.C. Sculpture made
of recycled steel cables of Taipei 101 not only showcase Taiwan in front of the
world, they are also important art ambassadors of Taiwan.
In September 2017, Kang Muxiang was invited to
Diepholz, Germany’s city of green energy, to showcase work “Unlimited Wisdom.”
The sculpture became much beloved by the citizens of the city, they eventually
launched a fundraising event to permanently keep the sculpture in Diepholz.
Today (9/30), both Master Kang and COO Michael Liu of Taipei 101 are in
Diepholz to attend the handover and unveiling ceremony at the plaza of the St.
Nicholas’ Church, and to announce that the fund raised by the citizens will be
used for Taipei 101’s Disposable Cup Waste-Reduction Project, passing on the
spirit of resource sustainability embodied by the artwork of recycled steel
cables.
Distinguished guests, including Florian Marré, Mayor of
Diepholz, Mr. Marcel Scharrelmann, member of the Landtag of Lower
Saxony, Mr. Axel Knoerig, member of
Germany’s federal parliament, city councilor Bärbel Schmitz and Mr. Lo Mei-shun, Director-General of Taipei
Representative Office in the
Federal Republic of Germany in Hamburg are all present at the ceremony to
witness this important event of art diplomacy. Organizer in Diepholz specially
arranges music performances of Taiwanese song “Sweetheart” and Mandarin song
“Friends” to symbolize the love of the citizens of Diepholz for “Unlimited
Wisdom” and to commemorate this friendship between Taiwan and Germany linked by
the artwork of recycled steel cable.
Citizens
of German Green Energy City Fundraised to Collect
the Sculpture Made of Taipei
101’s Retired Steel Cables
Diepholz, where “Unlimited Wisdom” is permanently
archived through fundraising by the citizens, is a small town in Northern
Germany, and is known for its development of green energy. The city is fully
self-sufficient, utilizing local swamp gas, wind energy and solar energy, to
generate power for all 16,000 citizens of the city. Citizens of Diepholz are
fully dedicated to sustainable development of environment, which happens to
coincide with Master Kang’s creative ideals of environmental protection and
recycling and reutilization. Therefore, when citizens of Diepholz saw that cold
and hard disposed steel cables could be transformed through creative process
into warm and vibrant sculptures, they were very much impressed. After the
one-year exhibition closed, the citizens did not want to see the works leave,
and proactively launched a fundraising concert promptly titled “Taiwan Night,”
hoping to purchase “Unlimited Wisdom” from Master Kang, so that the work could
remain permanently in Diepholz and serve as the city’s spiritual landmark.
“When we curated the exhibition here in Diepholz, I
did not expect my works to be so well received by everyone here, especially
when I heard that they raised funds to keep this sculpture here, I was truly
touched and moved,” expressed artist Kang Muxiang in his remark. Master Kang
also announces that the funds raised by the local citizens will be used for
actual environmental initiatives and activities. The plan is to produce the
“Unlimited Wisdom Tumblers” he designed, which will go hand-in-hand with Taipei
101’s Disposable Cup Waste-Reduction Project, as a gesture of showing gratitude
to the citizens of the city known for green energy.
“It is a great joy to see the elevator cables of
Taipei 101, which have carried countless tourists, can be reutilized by Master
Kang Muxiang to create artworks that facilitate cultural exchange between
Taiwan and the international community; it has now become the medium for the
realization of our waste reduction plan. Taipei 101 received LEED Platinum
certification by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2011, becoming the world’s
tallest green building, and it continued to hold itself to the highest
standards, attained the LEED v4 Platinum Certification with the highest score
in the world in 2016, and becoming a new paradigm of global supertall green
buildings. We will utilize Taipei 101’s unique property of vertical community
to promote our Disposable Cup Waste-Reduction Project in the near future. The
‘Unlimited Wisdom Tumblers’ resulted from the participation of the people of
the green energy city of Diepholz have injected into this plan greater energy
and meaning. We also hope that Taipei 101 can become the leading enterprise for
actions of single use cup reduction,” added COO Michael Liu of Taipei 101.
“Unlimited Wisdom”- the Art for
Diplomacy
Realizes Environmental
Sustainability
Designed by Master Kang himself, the steel cable
sculpture-inspired tumblers will be promoted to Taipei 101 tenants through the
vertical community waste reduction project, hoping to pass on the objective of
the art of recycled steel cables and remind tenants of Taipei 101 the
importance of recycling and reutilization, which will extend the lifecycles of
objects. Master Kang names the tumbler “Unlimited Wisdom” after the sculpture
permanently archived in Diepholz, to not only provide a link between Taipei
101’s waste reduction plan and the green energy city of Diepholz, but to also
inspire people’s unlimited wisdom to safeguard our Earth.
Mayor Florian Marré of Diepholz is very excited about
the funds being used for Taipei 101’s waste reduction plan: “At the time, we
simply wanted to keep ‘Unlimited Wisdom’ permanently in Diepholz. We did not
expect to indirectly partake in this meaningful plan, doing our parts to
protect the environment, while also introducing tenants of Taipei 101 the city
of Diepholz.” Director-General Mei-shun Lo of Taipei
Representative Office in the
Federal Republic of Germany in Hamburg a highly regards this waste reduction
plan that connects Taipei 101, Kang Muxiang, and Diepholz, as it carries out
art diplomacy through everyday efforts of environmental protection, offering a
great example of international exchange.
Retired steel cables of Taipei 101’s high-speed
elevators have gained new life through art to not only show Taiwan to the
world, but also connect the daily efforts of environmental protection on two
ends of the world, so we can join our forces to strive for environmental
sustainability.