The Banana Plantation

作品賞析

Peng Kai-teng’s Banana Orchard depicts a workshop converted from a shipping container standing in the midst of a beautiful banana orchard, while a family of chickens struts in the open space in the foreground, so that the overall picture presents a leisurely rural atmosphere. Taiwan was once known as the “Banana Kingdom,” since its bananas were exported overseas in containers and earned a lot of foreign exchange. In Taiwan, no matter whether one is in a port city or not, shipping containers and their remains can be seen everywhere. For Peng Kai-Teng, these important tools for transoceanic transportation symbolize “capitalization” and “globalization,” but with simple remodeling, they can also be converted into resting spots like workers’ lodgings and farm sheds. Under the artist’s brush, the container and banana orchard not only present a peaceful bucolic rural scene  but also carries the memories of Taiwan’s economic development, and even more, reflections on capitalization and globalization.