“When Can We Have the Ability to Produce Our Very First Domestic Car on Our Own？ ”
「我們哪時才有第一部國產車？」
2015
Tape, Sticker
膠帶，貼紙
Dimensions variable
尺寸依場域而定
膠帶，貼紙
Dimensions variable
尺寸依場域而定
This work is a part of “Relationship Studio Project”, co-worker CHIANG Ming-Chun, introduction write by LI Kuei-Pi
“Made in Taiwan?” has become mere a classical teasing line in the old movie Fatal Attraction since Taiwan played no longer the role as “a world factory”. More and more Taiwan firms has been moving to South-East Asia for cheaper labor, which in turn forcing part of Taiwanese manufacturing laborers to be faced with the unemployment problem.
Within this project, I had an interview with one of those technicians losing their jobs due to the offshoring. His oral history has helped me backtrack the cultural identity problem embedded within Taiwan’s self-position as a OEM industry country. The question that “When can we have the ability to produce our very first domestic car on our own?” is to address a truth which this technician has realized after all these years of working for Taiwan’s manufacturing industy. He was enlighted by a television commercial and realized: “high-end technology is always under the hold of developed countries” and that Taiwan firms only have the manufacturing competence for the OEM tasks. The question also alludes to the situation developing countries are faced that their cultures have long come off as an OEM firm for the developed countries.
Eventually this technician managed to startup a workshop, providing technical assistance to artists by applying his own manufacturing experience. At the exhibition in name of this project, I’ve invited this technician to share his personal working history; at same time, his working profiles and the miniature of his workshop were on display at the exhibition site.
(This is a rough translation of the original in Chinese)
“Made in Taiwan?” has become mere a classical teasing line in the old movie Fatal Attraction since Taiwan played no longer the role as “a world factory”. More and more Taiwan firms has been moving to South-East Asia for cheaper labor, which in turn forcing part of Taiwanese manufacturing laborers to be faced with the unemployment problem.
Within this project, I had an interview with one of those technicians losing their jobs due to the offshoring. His oral history has helped me backtrack the cultural identity problem embedded within Taiwan’s self-position as a OEM industry country. The question that “When can we have the ability to produce our very first domestic car on our own?” is to address a truth which this technician has realized after all these years of working for Taiwan’s manufacturing industy. He was enlighted by a television commercial and realized: “high-end technology is always under the hold of developed countries” and that Taiwan firms only have the manufacturing competence for the OEM tasks. The question also alludes to the situation developing countries are faced that their cultures have long come off as an OEM firm for the developed countries.
Eventually this technician managed to startup a workshop, providing technical assistance to artists by applying his own manufacturing experience. At the exhibition in name of this project, I’ve invited this technician to share his personal working history; at same time, his working profiles and the miniature of his workshop were on display at the exhibition site.
(This is a rough translation of the original in Chinese)
Sketch made by technician, installation made by Relationship Studio
隨著台灣被稱為世界工廠的時代結束，「Made in Taiwan？」成為回憶當中老電影Fatal Attraction的經典揶揄台詞，越來越多的台灣工廠決定將製造部門移往勞力更加廉價的東南亞地區，一些製造業底層的技術人員因此面臨了失業問題。
我們哪時候才有第一部國產車」所指得便是一段在製造汽車的工廠上班時，透過汽車廣告所發現的製造業真相：高端技術永遠掌握在先進國家，位於台灣的工廠只擁有代工/製造的能力，這一句話同時也隱射了部分發展中地區文化成為代工產業的狀況。
後來這名技術人員開了一間工作室，以過去學習而來的技術協助藝術家製作作品。在與計畫同名的展覽當中，我們請這名技術人員來到展覽現場分享自己的工作史，並找了一名藝術家作為講座的與談人。同時在展覽現場展示了這名技術人員所規劃的工作室模型與工作史紀錄
我們哪時候才有第一部國產車」所指得便是一段在製造汽車的工廠上班時，透過汽車廣告所發現的製造業真相：高端技術永遠掌握在先進國家，位於台灣的工廠只擁有代工/製造的能力，這一句話同時也隱射了部分發展中地區文化成為代工產業的狀況。
後來這名技術人員開了一間工作室，以過去學習而來的技術協助藝術家製作作品。在與計畫同名的展覽當中，我們請這名技術人員來到展覽現場分享自己的工作史，並找了一名藝術家作為講座的與談人。同時在展覽現場展示了這名技術人員所規劃的工作室模型與工作史紀錄
Installation in NO.5,Ln.18,Art Space,2015, Photo courtesy of NO.5,Ln.18,Art Space
Installation in NO.5,Ln.18,Art Space,2015, Photo courtesy of NO.5,Ln.18,Art Space
