Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei

Gelidium (the raw material for agar-agar) is a red algae that grows in specific marine environments and is an important marine resource along the coasts of Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Haenyeo in Korea and Japan have long practiced free-diving to harvest seaweed and marine products, forming distinctive cultures of women’s labor and maritime life. Artist Son Hyemin’s artistic practice and research focus on the everyday knowledge, labor experiences, and migration histories of haenyeo with her collective Rice Brewing Sisters Club. This talk brings together Taiwanese cultural practitioners and sea women divers from Magang to share experiences of harvesting, trading, and diving, while reflecting on the challenges brought about by changes in the marine environment.

※This project is a collaboration with Lin Kuei-Miao (cultural worker), Wu Han-En (Dawn Culture Studio), and Magang sea women divers. ●About the Moderator
Hyemin Son
Hyemin Son is a visual artist based in Busan, Korea and a member of Rice Brewing Sisters Club, which she co-founded in 2018. Her practice focuses on the collectivity inherent in the process of fermentation, approaching it as a practical engagement with organic materials and drawing inspiration from the ecological economic community formed by such as Haenyeo.

●About the Speakers
Lin Kuei-Miao
Cultural Worker. Through her involvement in assisting Magang’s petition to preserve its traditional stone house settlement, Lin realized that stones serve both as habitats for marine life and as the building blocks of human homes. Captivated by Magang’s distinct natural and cultural character, she continues to foster a sense of "island identity" through field research, writing, and curatorial projects.

Wu Han-En
Deeply passionate about the mountains and sea of Gongliao, Wu actively engages with local culture and marine environmental issues. Through guided tours, experience design, and community connections, she introduces audiences to the stories of this land while inviting collective reflection on our relationship with place.

Chen Wang-Sei
Affectionately known as "A-Ma Wang-Shih," Chen is currently the most senior coastal forager in Magang. She began learning coastal foraging from her mother as a child, accumulating over sixty years of experience. Though no longer diving as she ages, she still diligently gathers sea snails and scrapes wild nori along the shore. She also warmly shares her vintage foraging tools and leads visitors to the coast to demonstrate traditional oyster shucking.

●Notices
1.Admission to the talk is free. Visitors who wish to view the current exhibition, The Museum After, are required to purchase an exhibition ticket.
2.In the event of natural disasters (such as typhoons) or other force majeure events, the event will be canceled in accordance with Taipei City Government announcements, without individual notice.
3.The museum reserves the right to modify all event details. Should the event be postponed, canceled, or changed to an alternative format, announcements will be made on the museum's official website and Facebook page.