Regina Yuching Lin ｜Cove Park - Arts Residency Network Taiwan 藝術進駐網

Location	UK / Scotland
Residency	Cove Park
Year of the Grant	2020

Regina Yuching Lin is an independent research-based translator, curator and writer based in Taipei, Taiwan. Regina’s passion is mainly about craft and sees it as the creative influx of human and natural forces, of historical heritage and contemporary flair, of political symbol and economic impact, of the made and makers. Her projects usually involve and introduce issues of politics, culture, history and society of South and Southeast Asia through books and exhibitions. She is particularly interested in unearthing muffled voices and stirring existing views.

Regina’s recent curation and writing projects include “The Quietest Noises –Stitching, Weaving and Embroidering in Conflicts, Oppressions, and Forced Migration” (writing and curatorial practice), “COVID Time Capsule” online interactive art project (collaboration among Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Thailand), “In Small Things Forgotten and Remembered: Young Female Artists/Artisans in Indonesia, Myanmar and Taiwan”, “Behind the Masks” online exhibition, and the short documentary “Thanaka: a Tree in the Desert - Myanmar’s Quest for Biodiversity under Conflicts.”

Regina has translated these books into Chinese and published in Taiwan: India: A Sacred Geography, The Costliest Pearl: China’s Struggle for India’s Ocean, How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States, Erdogan Rising: The Battle for the Soul of Turkey, India After Gandhi: The History of the World’s Largest Democracy, Levant: Splendour and Catastrophe on the Mediterranean, Land of Jade: A Journey from India through Northern Burma to China, India: Brief History of a Civilization, Istanbul: City of Majesty at the Crossroads of the World, and The End of Karma: Hope and Fury Among India’s Young.

With degrees in Journalism (BA, Taiwan) and Indian Studies (MPhil, UK), before turning independent, Regina has accumulated a wide range of international experiences including the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, Garden of Hope Foundation, Center for Traditional Arts, TNUA and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Artist Statement:
[Residency experiences]
Most artists in residence at Cove Park stay in single Cubes with mini kitchens constructed with recycled containers. A few artists stay in single rooms in the Jacobs building with kitchen and dinning area. Cubes and the Jacobs building are connected with open-air uphill steps and a dirt vehicle road. Artists need to buy (online or downtown shopping) and prepare foods themselves. The residency program values and respects artists’ self-driven initiatives. Welcome receptions are regularly held on Monday afternoon for arriving artists (most local British artists stay for a week). Artist talks could be arranged upon discussion.

I encountered the summer dinner (invitation only) and several project sharing sessions (open to the public) while staying at the Cove Park. The summer dinner is an annual event at the Cove Park. Board members and major sponsors were invited, including representatives from Creative Scotland and the Goethe Institute. They actively intermingled with local artists, art scholars, cultural professionals in Glasgow and artists in residence.

The summer dinner reflects the British way of socializing. Casual chats at the pre-dinner reception and the carefully laid seat plan are all intended for a rewarding evening. In order to connect artists with attendants from different backgrounds, artists are placed in designated seats around the table. I encountered people with accents and backgrounds of variety. I also met two fiber artists at the dinner specifically invited by the organizer. As much as the Cove Park values artist initiatives, when artists express needs, the organizer is more than happy to bridge new connections.

In addition to textiles and fiber art, Cove Park and its natural/cultural contexts also expand my horizons. This includes how imperial history impacts local natural environments, how the historical connection between the metropole and the former colonies informs contemporary creative works, and how art engages the society in the former industrial city struggling in its own many issues.

[Suggestions for Incoming Applicants]
Take some time to explore and immerse yourself in the rich historical, cultural, social and natural backgrounds. The Cove Park is located on a peninsula outside Glasgow, Scotland amid a string of fjords and islands where the River Clyde meets the Atlantic. It is adjacent to one of the most important nuclear submarine bases in the UK. A navy shipyard is located on the other side of the peninsula. Since the 17th Century, Glasgow is known for its outstanding ship building industry. It was also one of the key sites for the British Empire and its business expansion overseas. In two world wars, Glasgow was a navy base. Marine tradition is deeply rooted in this area. Cove Park is founded on a private natural reserve with only a small fraction of the area hosting buildings for the art program. Most other parts are still natural reserve without much human touch. Reforested areas could be found on hills around and opposite Cove Park, in response to damages caused by centuries of deforestation.

Following directions might be both of interest to the host and future exploration by practitioners: historical connection between different regions of the former empire, impacts of global capital expansion and contraction on natural and social environments, and socially engaged arts in Glasgow.

Author: Regina Yuching Lin
Edited: Brix