Her periods and commas

It's about the life story of Mrs. Li-Rong Kuo (郭麗容), 77 years old now. The author, Wei-Su Chien (簡偉斯) of Tainan National University of the Arts (NUTA), exhibits her story with the title "Her periods and commas". This title reminds me of another mandarin idiom "periods and drops". The title "ups and downs" is also in my mind when I get to know more about Mrs Chen. Either title can express vividly how we live our life under the sun.

Chien's work "Her periods and commas" is currently exhibited in an oldie house at a nearby village of NUTA. This house used to be a rice milling factory, called Miga in Taiwanese. It's specially renovated for such a special event of art exhibition. After a briefing inside Miga, you will be entering the secret garden of Mrs. Chen, with a film of 77 photos plus narratives posted along the walls. As the author has noted, it seems to Mrs. Chen that artistic creation itself is not a purpose, rather it's like a harbor where a drifting boat is desperately seeking to be sheltered.

Before you visit Miga and find out what's in the heart house of Mrs. Chen, browse the following two blog articles about her:

- What a Wonderful Chair!

- Chair of Majesty?!

And see some video clips here to grasp some idea about Mrs. Chen's periods and commas in her past 77 years:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBA4xuFhDsU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCj9qhpQHCc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lcr8dx1cWa0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBG0qbhQb94

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipC1fDGuSJo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5C9vgEMa7E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPwC14kmVkw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T36qRSXdNZw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYUVUz12K0A

Finally, it's announced here that Mrs. Chen will soon exhibit all her real artwork (not in photos) in a restaurant gallery in February 2011 at Kaohsiung.

Searching for the light

In the photo, Michelle found in the hallway of our house this herbaceous plant very special. It has long, soft and curly stem. It is not supposed to grow like that when compared to those growing outside at the balcony, where the same plants have shorter and stronger stems supporting the leaves. I think the reason for the difference is because of sunlight. In the hallway, this indoor plant was striving for the dim light. The green clover-like leaves you are watching face exactly the incoming light direction.

Like the nature of the plant searching for the light, we humans too are yearning to see the light. No one wants to walk in the darkness. In the Bible, it says "God is light". In a similar sense, we desire to have God's presence deep in our heart.