關於 social cultural environment ，我們在網路上蒐集到這些相關的討論、資訊與評價

🚩 New Media Artist Hsin-Chien Huang Leads "Garden Taipei/Formosa: Taiwan Grand Tour" with 22 Taiwan's VR and New Media Artworks to 2021 Ars Electronica Linz in Austria🇦🇹

2021 ARS ELECTRONICA FESTIVAL Ars Electronica has chosen “A New Digital Deal” as its annual theme, centering around the social and cultural transformations under the influence of technology from different countries. Also, it pays attention to changes of “the New Normal” due to the pandemic.

Hsin-Chien Huang, this year’s curator of the “Garden Taipei/Formosa”, resonates the theme with the “Taiwan Grand Tour”, hoping to waken our desire and ability to move freely during the journey via different kinds of media, also make more people see the marvelous results and how hard Taiwan has devoted to technology, culture, tradition, and tradition via international digital platforms. The tour will have become a window between the world and Taiwan.

The scale of this year’s exhibitions has been brought up a notch. Not only did it carry on displaying the VR and AR productions from last year, but the curator Hsin-Chien Huang has collaborated with three other, Hsiao-Yue Tsao, Billy Chang, and Chung-Hsien Chen, to call out many VR directors, new media artists, start-up companies and government institutions to join the project. There are 22 magnificent programs in total, which will be shown in categories such as “Immersive Tour”, “Animated Tour”, “New Media Tour”, “Earth Tour” and “Action Tour” respectively.

“Immersive Tour”, as the first part of the “Taiwan Grand Tour”, viewers can wander among the mountains, oceans, and rivers in the digital world, even outer space! Six scenes inspired by unique Taiwanese landscapes with cultural and biological features will be shared with the audiences, such as “The Starry Sand Beach” (Directed by Hsin-Chien Huang and Nina Barbier), “Moondream Reality-Rebirth”(Directed by Chi-Yen Chiang, Ami Wu), the shuttle VR 360 stereo video of “TAIPOWER D/S ONE.” (Directed by Ghung-I Hung and Shih-Chou Wen), “Floating Childhoods” (Directed by Hakka Public Communication Foundation and Wen-Chieh Chang), “Blue Tears EP1” (Directed by Hsiao-Yue Tsao), and “Samsara” (Directed by Hsin-Chien Huang).

In the “Animated Tour”, viewers can devote themselves to the characters via different programs. Whether it is the abstract or figurative visual style, audiences can experience anxiety and frustration all the way to happiness and growth. Getting rid of this disappointing reality, viewers shall continue the “Taiwan Grand Tour” through their imagination. This program consists of four animations: "Go Go Giwas: Sowing Dream Seeds"(Directed by Vick Wang, Yi-Feng Kao), "My grandmother is an Egg"(Directed by Wu-Ching Chang),"Inside"(Directed by Yu-Ting Hsueh), and "The Wayward Kite"(Directed by Yu-Ting Hsueh).

In the “New Media Tour” program, nine brilliant pieces created by Taiwanese artists will be shared as the relay points for the “Taiwan Grand Tour.” They use video, sound, electronic music, installation, and various new media to explore different topics, such as family, memory, city, society, landscape, and environment. We firmly believe that digital tools can also capture the warmth and emotions in reality. This program consists of nine artworks: "Surrounding Spectrum"(Directed by Hsiu-Ming Wu), "Nanyang Express II : Eternal Wandering and Tropical Pursuing"(Directed by Yi-Chi Lin), "Wave Waves"(Directed by Sio-Pang Hong), "That ・ This"(Directed by Ching-Chuan Hu), "Signal"(Directed by Chin-Hsiang Hu), "Tower of Babel by the sea"(Directed by Wei-Chung Feng), "How to explain love to an iPhone"(Directed by Jie-Huai Yang), "U+617E_v2.∞"(Directed by Jia-Hua Zhan), and "Absence in Presence"(Directed by Ning Tsai).

In the program “Earth Tour”, viewers will participate in a performance art called “Taste Soil”, which intends to rethink the relationship between humans and land by means of “eating.” The program brings together international eminent chefs Andre Chiang, dancer Billy Chang, new media artist Hsin-Chien Huang and Wen-Chieh Chang, fusing Taiwan’s unique traditions and customs with cuisines and dance performances via VR experience. A feast to the eyes and tastebuds awaits.

Looking back at the present time, humans need to take more efficient scientific actions in the digital world to reduce the consumption and pressure of resources and the environment and cope with the impact in the post-pandemic times. Two important technology units in Taiwan make their debut in the “Action Tour”: Miniwiz Co., Ltd. and the Taipei Urban Intelligence Center. The former is devoted to the sustainable development of materials science with digital technology and design, while the latter is the integration of big data and streaming technology to create a new technical model of urban governance. Combing these two, an answer to developing a sustainable society with digital energy is born. During the tour, a new performance art project is inspired by the digital cross-field cooperation for the first time. The Taipei Urban Intelligence Center will join hands with new media artist Chin-Hsiang Hu and the founder of Inwheel Ghung-I Hung, to create a new media artwork “The Weight of Data” by integrating both virtual and physical materials from different domains and sharing data resources.

The brilliant curatorial concept and lineup of the Taiwan Grand Tour have attracted the interest of the officials of the festival and been in the limelight. Therefore, the festival has invited three creators behind the “Earth Tour”: Andre Chiang, Billy Chang, and Hsin-Chien Huang, to an online interview called “Highlight Channel” at 18:00 on September 1 (Taiwan Time). The link will be provided by the official later on. Moreover, Miniwiz Co., Ltd. and the Taipei Urban Intelligence Center are also invited to share their ideas and experiences in an online show called “Home Delivery.”

The theme of the Garden Taipei/ Formosa is presented in a diverse form of performances by combining different fields multiply. The audience can easily follow the step of the “Taiwan Grand Tour” to explore Taiwan’s magnificent local digital creativity and illustrate a new digital landscape unitedly that only belongs to Taiwan. The 2021 Ars Electronica online exhibition will be held from September 8 to 12, 2021. Click the link below to take a sneak peek of this year’s shows.

📍ARS ELECTRONICA FESTIVAL 🔗 https://ars.electronica.art/newdigitaldeal/de/formosa-grand-tour/
📍ARS ELECTRONICA FESTIVAL “Home Delivery” 🔗 https://www.youtube.com/c/arselectronica/playlists?view=50&sort=dd&shelf_id=5
📍 Garden Taipei/Formosa: Taiwan Grand Tour 🔗 http://garden2021.metarealitylab.com/

#奧地利林茲電子藝術節
​#arselectronica21 #gardentaipeiformosa

歡迎三位新同學一起來智庫實習👏
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台灣世代智庫迎來自 🇩🇪的研究實習生麥亨甯!他於國立政治大學攻讀國際研究碩士學位，主要研究兩岸關係及歐盟內部的經濟政治融合。

他在台灣世代智庫的研究將涉及歐盟與台灣的關係，特別是台灣與德國之間的關係!
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Taiwan NextGen Foundation welcomes our new media intern 劉欣宇Mattis Liu. Mattis will be assisting in shaping and promoting NextGen’s social media presence.

Currently studying international relations and philosophy at National Taiwan University, Mattis is passionate about how non-profit organizations can influence public policy.

Mattis also follows and assesses social media trends and their impact on public opinion. While at NextGen, Mattis hopes to capitalize on these interests to contribute to the Foundation's multi-national and multi-cultural working environment.

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Taiwan NextGen foundation welcomes our new media intern Zoe Lin. Zoe will be assisting in promoting NextGen’s public exposure as well as increasing public awareness of social issues. Currently a psychology student at New York University, she has taken a leave of absence from her studies for the opportunity professionally engage with Taiwanese society. While interning for Taiwan NextGen, she aims to work towards her vision of a society more dedicated to promoting public mental health.

Conservatives and Liberals | Lee Yee

In the 1960s and 1970s, the American Civil Rights movement, the anti-Vietnam war movement, and the European movement were in the rage. At that time I was still young, and saw that in Western ideologies there were the liberals and the radicals. The middle-aged and older people were mostly liberals, and young people were mostly radicals. Nobody called themselves conservative at that time. It was as if there was a consensus that society should reform, that being conservative means not progressive. It was not until 1979 and 1981 when Prime Minister Mrs. Margaret Thatcher and U.S. President Reagan came to power and implemented conservative policies, succeeded, before the British and American politics went back to being traditional. However, the yearning for equality brought about by these civil movements has since become the mainstream driving ideology and consciousness in Western academics and media.

In the United States' two parties, the Republicans are generally considered conservatives, and the Democrats are liberals. Of course, there is mutual influence and infiltration into each and among each other. There are no generally accepted standard definitions for liberalism and conservatism, for they reflect socio-ideological trends and political practices of politicians.

Liberalism basically has four pillars: one, it recognizes that there are unavoidable conflicts of interest and beliefs in society; two, distrust of power; three, that people are progressive, and subjectively promotes the progress of human civilization; four, regardless of people’s ideology, identity, race, gender, or sexual orientation, they should be respected and accepted for their diversity, minorities are tolerated, and equality is pursued.

Conservatism is by no means an antonym to the pursuit of freedom. Both Mrs. Thatcher and Reagan are the most resolute guardians of freedom; conservatism does not deny power, but emphasizes that power must be monitored, checked and balanced.

In terms of welfare policies, liberalism pursues equality, protects minority rights, protects disadvantaged groups, and promotes and enhances social welfare. Since the increase in welfare would come from government spending, therefore there have to be tax increases. It is not like conservatism disregard the disadvantaged groups, but rather, it believes that there can be no true equality except before God and a fair court. It must first recognize the various differences and groups in people, and the pursuit of equality regardless of differences will only create new inequalities. If society eventually moves towards the equal distribution in socialism, people will move towards the path of slavery. Conservatism does not oppose welfare, but rather, it believes that charitable organizations, churches, civic organizations, or foundations should help the weak and helpless in society. The government ought to provide only policy assistance from the side, because if the government is to lead welfare, it will lead to excessive governance and intervention, and the price to pay will be an increase in taxation, leading to inflation. One of the founding spirits of the United States is that everyone is self-reliant. For those with the ability to make their own living to rely on government welfare for a prolonged period will actually make people live a life without self-esteem.

Liberalism seeks equal distribution from anti-discrimination, anti-difference, and equal opportunity, which is a road towards socialism. Conservatism does not seek rapid progress,; it believes that customs, conventions, and continuity should be followed. Ancient customs allow people to live together in harmony; those who destroy customs can destroy beyond what they want to destroy. The Cultural Revolution revolutionized the fate of culture. Conservatives also do not oppose social progress, but progress will not fall from the sky. If certain parts of society are progressing, other parts usually are declining. A healthy society must be both “enduring” and “developing”. For society to sustain endurance for a long time, there must be lasting faith. If that cannot last, the root source of righteousness will collapse.

In order not to interfere with people’s freedom, conservatism advocates small government, deregulation, tax reduction, in an attempt to create an environment conducive to the operation of private enterprises. Before Reagan was elected, both society and the economy were in difficult situations. The Americans hoped that Reagan could save the economy when he came to power, but in his inauguration speech, he said, “Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem.” Loosening up, reducing taxes, and adopting inaction, Reagan rejuvenated the U.S. economy.

Despite advocating for small governments, successive Republican governments, from Reagan to Bush to Trump, have increased military spending and maintained a strong military power; the Democratic Party’s Obama, on the other hand, wanted to be tolerant of totalitarian countries and cut military spending. Reagan developed a space war plan, and Trump developed the space army, because they believe that neither democracy or totalitarianism is people’s choice between different systems, but between people’s choice or the system imposed upon them by those in power; it is the difference between righteousness and evil, no middle ground, no moral relativism. Goodness must become the strong one, or else evil fascism will encroach, control, and ultimately defeat you.