Anticipation

Main Station, Taichung, Taiwan 2015-18

Commissioned by: Railway Reconstruction Bureau, MOTC
Material: stainless steel circular bend pipes, wood, plastic composites, sandblast ground, LED light
Dimensions HLW: 8,5 X 11,48 X 2,7 meter

On the square in front of the Taichung train station stands the monumental, greatly abstracted figure of a child gazing expectantly at the stairway to the new train station building. While there is a busy hustle and bustle all around it, the sculpture radiates calmness and concentration that can be interpreted as the pleasure of anticipating an imminent journey or the arrival of an acquaintance.

The color, size, and orientation of the sculpture guide attention to the space between the old and the new train station, while the ring-shaped components that comprise the figure evoke speed and mobility. The picture of calm anticipation forms a poetic opposite pole to the transitory ephemerality of the place.

Photos: Chen, Sheng-Hua