Good medicine for Taipei Happy Mount — MIX&MATCH
Good medicine for Taipei Happy Mount — MIX & MATCH 2011
Happy Mount Sanatorium, located in Bali, New Taipei City, was established in 1932. Initially providing care for leprosy patients, it now offers round-the-clock residential care and educational services for individuals with severe physical and mental disabilities. Situated on the urban fringe, the institution has preserved its original ecological landscape, distinctive Japanese colonial-era architecture, and self-sufficient way of life. Under the guidance of Director Yao Yu-ching of Happy Mount and Professor Chen Kai-huang of Taipei National University of the Arts, six students from TNUA’s Interdisciplinary Art Studies programme undertook cross-disciplinary artistic practice within this setting. Since October 2010, with the assistance of numerous residents, teachers, and staff, they have completed this phased exhibition.
The concept of ‘Mix & Match’ draws inspiration from a hybrid musical genre. ‘A Prescription for Happy Mount’ explores the dialectical relationship between artistic intervention and spatial context, seeking to establish a two-way communication channel to compose a seamless and harmonious Mix & Match melody. This two-way operation operates on three levels: firstly, artistic creation serves as an intermediary, leveraging individual expertise and perspectives to forge bridges connecting the Happy Mount Sanatorium with diverse developmental possibilities—such as collaborations with the sanatorium’s music therapists and horticultural instructors, or documentary filmmaking.Secondly, establishing the ‘Happy Mount Workshop’ within the grounds as the foundation for long-term residency, creating a physical space for natural interaction and encounters, thereby integrating the intervention into the daily lives of residents and staff.Lastly, and significantly, selection for the Bamboo Curtain Studio(located at Zhuwei) Annual Emerging Artists Program provided this space as an exhibition platform for workshop outcomes. It also facilitated the design of cross-river joyful excursions between Bali and Zhuwei, enabling Happy Mount residents to engage in more diverse community adaptation activities with local Bamboo Curtain Studio residents.
During the Japanese colonial period, Happy Mount Sanatorium adopted a ‘work as therapy’ ethos, where leprosy patients sustained themselves through self-sufficient labour—planting trees, cultivating vegetables, and undertaking other tasks. Many plants and tree species cultivated then remain today. The grounds also feature a training farm and horticultural therapy programmes. Centering her approach on the communal relationship between ‘planting and people,’ artist Tseng Wen-chieh infused the historical context of Happy Mount Sanatorium into her work. She gathered data on the seasonal growth of fruits and vegetables within the grounds, explored the emotional connections and relationships between residents and cultivation, and developed a project centered on juices produced from Happy Mount’s produce, titled ‘Drink from Happy Mount.’
Huang Yu-ling’s ‘Walking Happy Mount Map’ explores the long-standing historical accumulation and rich natural dialogue of Happy Mount. Through the visual medium of cartography, it aims to present the spatial history of Happy Mount Sanatorium and the underlying logical relationships. The general public rarely has direct access to sanatorium spaces. This interactive map presents the sanatorium’s entirety, partially documented through preservation methods. It reveals how residents utilize different spaces, allowing those encountering Happy Mount for the first time to familiarize themselves with residents’ lives through this work.
Concurrently, the visual documentation traces the institution’s evolution from its Japanese colonial-era origins, when predominantly single-storey buildings reflected the strict spatial control typical of institutionalised leprosy hospitals. In contrast, the current high-rise architecture reflects recent societal progress in understanding disabilities. While this may enhance administrative efficiency, it also underscores the considerable distance remaining before persons with disabilities achieve full integration into the wider community.
Artists Li Wan-keng and Chang Chih-ying independently integrated the sanatorium’s music therapy program. Collaborating with music therapists, they developed props and instruments to train participants’ sensory perception through musical mediation. This transformation of the medium enriched and diversified interactions between teachers and students.
Combining the ‘Ning Caishen No. 2 Machine – Happy Mount Limited Edition Karaoke’ (寧采臣貳號機–卡拉OK樂山限定版)with produce from the hillside vegetation behind Happy Mount Sanatorium and the children’s uniquely passionate singing, artist Lai Chun-hung utilized photographic equipment sponsored by Sony Taiwan Corporation to capture scenes of astonishing imagery and the celestial voices echoing through Happy Mount’s nights – a truly ear-tingling experience!
Two other artists employed distinct information carriers in this exhibition: Yan Fangyu’s ‘Amur Ersaikhan. Bilegon’ (阿木耳賽汗。彼樂貢)– The Benevolent Matrix Project seeks to trigger all events through a single matrix (the internet), linking social networks to contemplate the meaning of “goodness” by utilizing the matrix’s ‘similarity principle’ to search for connections between individuals. Confronting this vast social machinery, it nurtures the rapid dissemination of interpersonal dynamics, hoping visitors, before portraits of those awaiting donation, will develop emotional projections of connection, identification, and ultimately donation.
Related links： National Culture and Arts Foundation Regular Grants 2011