RedBall Project at NCKU Future Venue: Uniting Art and Heritage
Written by Elysee Chung. Image credit to NCKU News Center.
The presence of the "Red Ball Tainan" brings a fresh and captivating experience.
Behold the Magnificent Red Ball! The presence of the "Red Ball Tainan" brings a fresh and captivating experience. The sight of the red ball in National Cheng Kung University’s Sheng-Li campus and "RedBall Parallel Exhibition" (紅球平行展) promises an enriching visit. Exploring the campus to encounter the red ball offers a holistic understanding of both the art installation and the city of Tainan itself. Beyond capturing memorable photos with the red ball, visitors are invited to delve deeper by exploring the RedBall Exhibition housed on the 2nd floor of the Future Venue.
Many recent graduates of NCKU were also present, dressed in their graduation gowns, capturing their exclusive graduation memories of the year 2024 with their friends.
Continuing from Stone Arch (Official Reception), Yongle Market, and Tainan Park, the fourth stop of "Red Ball Tainan" arrived at NCKU (April 1st). Despite heavy rain in the morning, the sun was shining brightly close to noon. Approaching 11 a.m., people of all ages had gathered in front of the Future Venue at NCKU, eagerly taking photos with the red ball. Many recent graduates of NCKU were also present, dressed in their graduation gowns, capturing their exclusive graduation memories of the year 2024 with their friends.
Over the last three days, the expansive street art spectacle showcasing the red ball in Tainan has sparked engaging conversations. Many people took the opportunity to rediscover city landmarks they have not visited in quite some time. At the scene, there were also locals recalling their families’ past businesses near the Deqing River by the National Tainan Junior College of Nursing, along with memories of carrying heavy loads across the bridge, resulting in goods falling into the river.
The exhibition is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and also during the Qingming Festival holiday from April 4th to April 7th.
On April 1st, the opening ceremony of the exhibition "RedBall Tainan" was held. American artist Kurt Perschke unveiled a red ball with a diameter of 4.5 meters and weighing 122 kilograms at the entrance of the 2nd floor of the Future Venue at NCKU. This brought a completely different campus landscape to NCKU and marked the exciting beginning of the two-week RedBall Exhibition.
Shih-Yuan Hsieh (謝仕淵), Director of Tainan City Government’s Cultural Affairs Bureau, noted that the global tour of the red ball ignites diverse discussions in every city it visits. Presently, it made a sudden appearance in 10 historical districts in Tainan. Director Hsieh expressed appreciation to NCKU for organizing the RedBall Exhibition, enabling viewers to comprehensively grasp the importance of the red ball's presence.
On April 1st, the opening ceremony of the exhibition "RedBall Tainan" was held.
During her opening address on April 1st, Yuh-Neu Chen (陳玉女), Vice President of NCKU, humorously stated that the presence of the red ball at NCKU is real, not a prank.
She emphasized the significant attention drawn by the giant red ball and stressed that its display across 10 routes in Tainan goes beyond public art to include historical culture. With Tainan’s 400th anniversary being a significant historical milestone, she hoped citizens would reflect on Tainan’s past waterfront lifestyle while taking photos with the red ball. Additionally, she encouraged collective efforts for a successful and innovative future, contributing to Tainan's rich community history.
Ping-Sheng Wu (吳秉聲), Assistant Vice President and Museum Director of National Cheng Kung University, highlighted that 2031 marks NCKU’s centennial celebration. He emphasized the importance of using art to explore the past, understand the environment, and vividly envision the future. The “RedBall Parallel Exhibition” is a collaboration between NCKU Museum and Atelier Future, coinciding with the “RedBall Project” flash creation in Tainan. The exhibition is located on the 2nd floor of the Future Venue at NCKU’s Sheng-Li Campus and runs from April 1st to April 10th. It features four main sections: Tainan’s six historical districts, significant hydrological basins over 400 years, an introduction to the “RedBall Project,” and the spirit of the Red Ball Tainan initiative. The exhibition is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and also during the Qingming Festival holiday from April 4th to April 7th.
NCKU holds particular significance as the source of the Deqing River and plays a pivotal role in the entire "RedBall Tainan" initiative.
Jo-Hsun Huang (黃若珣), the curator of “RedBall Tainan,” highlighted that the exhibition centers on several ancient river basins in Tainan’s old city area, including the Deqing River, Fu An Keng River, Zhuxi River, and Wenyuan River. NCKU holds particular significance as the source of the Deqing River and plays a pivotal role in the entire "RedBall Tainan" initiative. Initially, the museum was the preferred location for the red ball’s display at NCKU. However, for this event, it is being showcased at the Future Venue, providing a view of the NCKU Museum. This decision coincidentally documents the transformation process of the NCKU Museum building renovation.
Founded in 1931, NCKU has close ties to Tainan’s development and hydrology. Its campus intersects with the Deqing River and Wenyuan River basins. The Deqing River played a vital role in Tainan's development over 400 years and was previously navigable. Formerly known as Kengzaidi (坑仔底), the Deqing River originates near NCKU’s Sheng-Li Campus and National Tainan First Senior High School, flowing westward through Minzu Road, Zhongcheng Road, and Chenggong Road, and into the Taijiang Inner Sea at “Shuizaiwei (水仔尾),” south of Liren Elementary School. Its basin now extends westward, flowing into the Yanshui River and then the sea. Urbanization has concealed the Deqing River’s channel, leaving only remnants visible from the north side of National Tainan First Senior High School and the undulating terrain around NCKU's southern area, reflecting the river’s ancient influence on the landscape.
The “RedBall Project” is the world’s longest-running street art initiative. It has visited over 40 renowned cities worldwide since its launch in 2001. Kurt Perschke believes that “the red ball can stimulate the imagination of the audience,” and the different reactions to the RedBall Project in various countries reflect each country’s unique culture. He is excited about the fascinating stories that will continue to unfold in Tainan through the Red Ball Project. During the opening ceremony on April 1st, he expressed gratitude to NCKU for its strong support of the Red Ball Tainan initiative and mentioned that during his time in Tainan for the exhibition, he has fully experienced the enthusiasm and vitality of the people of Tainan. He then expressed his most recommended and anticipated event, the exhibition at The Spring Square on Children’s Day, April 4th.
Provider:
NCKU News Center
Date:
2024-04-09
