2019-10-02

Retired Elevator Cables of Taipei 101 Transformed into Kang Muxiang’s “Unlimited Wisdom”. Citizens of German Green Energy City Fundraised to Permanently Keep the Sculpture

(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.