臺灣文學虛擬博物館

(´ ▽ `)ﾉ How much reading do you do on an average day? 

You begin each day reading the newspaper or a favorite news website and then peruse the latest posts by social-media friends and contacts. On the way to work or school, you are greeted by a steady barrage of slick advertisements and other messages. In the evening, pop music wafts through the air as you do some shopping. You see a faded New Year's couplet clinging tenaciously to a restaurant doorway. A van blaring a candidate's campaign messages over its loudspeakers passes by. Back home, your father eagerly shares some of the jokes and memes making the rounds on the Internet. Although you fail to see the humor, the scene reminds you of a movie with a father figure who loved cracking deadpan jokes, so you give a supportive smile.

This is just an average day!
 

Upon closer consideration, you will surely find that words are part and parcel of everyday life. A constant stream of messages, purposefully written, refined, and packaged, finds its way to you every day of the year. Although not necessarily professionally trained, these authors use literary techniques such as ambiguity, rhyme, repetition, contrast, and association that are deeply rooted in the human experience. Media and public education have spun the written word into the fabric of everyday life. We truly live in the most 'literary' of times.

TRACES OF LITERATURE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD Projection Installation
From shop signboards, protest banners, pop song lyrics, and newspaper headlines, traces of literature are everywhere and hidden in the familiar texts visible to everyone in the city.

(°ヘ°)？“No, I don't understand literature. It's beyond me.”

The world's greatest authors have regularly mined everyday experiences for literary inspiration. Moreover, the earliest writings were simply records of important events and ideas similar to notes we jot down on paper and the social media posts that we share online today. Gradually, humans discovered the 'art' of writing and vastly improved content with changes in writing style, rhythm, and composition. Literature gained a new depth and allure that resonated with its readers. Literature that changes hearts and minds can inspire action and change in the real world. Thus, good books can play a role similar to social movements, inspiring people to donate money, vote, and speak out publicly. While the literary legacy of our world has grown incomprehensibly large, we preserve and remember mostly the literary 'cream' of each generation for posterity. Every new generation of authors, standing on the shoulders of its forebears, challenges established norms and further enriches the collective cultural memory as reflected in our 'literary history'. Similarly, the collective cultural memory of Taiwan is preserved and celebrated in Taiwanese literary history.

Authors and works that have survived the sieve of time shine bright today in Taiwan's literary pantheon.

STAR MAP OF TAIWAN LITERATURE Interactive Installation 
In the vast realm of literature, writers are like the shining stars in the sky that are associated with one another. By tapping the stars or hashtags＃ on the map, you will see the introductions to the writers and their relationships. We welcome you to try this interactive installation yourself at the exhibition.

 NEXT: Humble Beginnings