Introduction
This year's Explore Jiaoxi project aims to invite people to interact with nature. Led by architect Huang Sheng-Yuan and his team from Fieldoffice Architects, the project invited experienced exhibit director Gong Jow-Jiun, mapping projection artist Agi Chen, ArchiBlur Lab architect Eric Chen, and picture book author Jimmy Liao to use light illusions, sound, and art installations to create several pieces connecting the streets of Jiaoxi with the water nearby. Pieces like the Jiaoxi Transfer Station Traveler's Path, Green Creek Square, Paoma Historic Trail Park and the Night Theater of Mountain Lights, and the Temple Platform Canopy have brought newfound exposure to the nature and culture in Jiaoxi.
Traveler's Path - Thank You, Furry Bunny, for a Wonderful Afternoon
Jiaoxi Transfer Station has always lacked dedicated pathways for pedestrians and has no clear on-foot travel itineraries with nearby hot springs or hotels. In response, Jimmy decided to use 29 furry bunny statues, one of which is a 7-meter tall colossus, to form a dedicated pedestrian walkway, the Traveler's Path, themed on the picture book Thank You, Furry Bunny, for a Wonderful Afternoon. The furry bunnies, who are heralds of youth and dreams, now act as tour guides to lead travelers leaving from Jiaoxi Transfer Station on a journey to explore Jiaoxi on foot.
Look closely and you will see that the accessories on the bunnies feature references to Taiwanese wildlife. Luggage, side bags, backpacks, socks, and scarves of the bunnies are printed with images of the mountain scops owl, blue tiger butterfly, yellow-mouthed japalura, white-backed silvergrass, flying spider-monkey tree fern, coupled dipteris, Chinese bretschneidera, subcostate crape myrtle, and giant elephant's ear. Their designs are actually inspired by insect and plant samples that we collected at Paoma Historic Trail during a workshop event in the project's initial phase. They were incorporated into the design of the bunnies to make the installations more closely connected to the area.
Explore Jiaoxi website、 Facebook page
Transportation: From Taipei
Capital Bus (National Highway Bus Line 1572): From Taipei City Hall Transfer Station to Jiaoxi Station, about 40 minutes.
Kamalan Bus (National Highway Bus Line 1915): From Taipei City Hall Transfer Station to Jiaoxi Station, about 60 minutes.
Explore Jimmy at Yilan ▏
Civic Forest Square、Yilan Forest Train Station and the Starry Train、Jimmy Square、Yilan City Tourist Bus
