Located at Jioushe Station, Taichung MRT's first public artwork was named "Water of Life" that presents the power of sustainable life with the images of green water and green leaves. At the same time, in Taiwanese, the piece has the meaning of being "the most beautiful." This public artwork at the MRT Jioushe Station has now completed the design proposal, selected artist's work and budget approved by the City Council. The report of the evaluation results will be sent to the Cultural Bureau for further approval.
According to Director General of the Transportation Bureau, Yeh Chao-Fu, the Taichung MRT Public Artwork Project has been carried out by the Taichung Mass Rapid Transit Corporation. This was the first MRT public artwork project carried by a MRT operator in Taiwan. "Water of Life" was a cooperation project among the Po Sing Landscape Corporation, Professor Cheng Yueh-Mei from the School of Architecture, Feng Chia University, Sculptor and Associate Professor Hsiao Ming-Yu from the Department of Industrial Design, Chaoyang University of Technology, ZAMAMA artist, Chen Yu-Chuan and Architect, Tai Hung-Yi.
"Water of Life" has three beautiful meanings: the first beauty, "coming from," indicating the turbulent Dajia River flowing to Jioushe, a history of irrigation longer than 200 years; the second beauty, "preservation" presenting growing green leaves irrigated by waterdrops, the shape of tobacco leaf showing the history of explorers to reflect the nearby rated Taichung City's historical site Zhaoan Shrine and Goubei Ancient Battlefield; and the third beauty, "exploration," reconnecting the rapture between nature and space and conveying human oriented transportation of "sustainability" and "green" transport.
Director General Yeh pointed out that inspired by the shape of leave, the design uses an arch presenting a seed, a leaf, a shelter to support agricultural development over the past century and strongly growing green life for sustainable and green transport. Water of the local irrigation culture was also incorporated into the design. Water is known as the source of life and tied closely to production and life. Flowing water has been featured as life and growth in nature and the growing upward leaf at the center of the artwork presents a sustainable life. Viewed from all angles on the first and second floors, the light panels at the center extends the meanings of being unlimited, light, clean, transparent and moving, a symbol of endless, loop and moving life. These stainless steel plate design was incorporated with lighting devices to present different day and night scenes of cleanliness, power and wisdom. The water ripple light installed on the ground is also a symbol of the power of life. In Fengshui, flowing water brings fortune and eternal prosperity, positive energy for happiness, serenity and peace.
According to Director General Yeh, the installation of the Taichung MRT art is expected to further convey cultural meaning and historical context of a region and to present Taichung's unique cultural and landscape features to allow riders to enjoy the fun and amazement of MRT's public spaces when commuting or traveling.