Where is my home?

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  Where is my home? | 2011

The origin and right to share a space, relationships between the original and non-original in nature. During my residency I realized how difficult this issue was also in the relationship between the Taiwanese and Chinese population. The Javan Myna comes from Southeast Asia and since 1994 this species began to spread also on the territory of Taiwan. Recent research aims at finding out whether this species will become invasive and will have an influence on the population of original bird species. The original species in Taiwan is the Crested Myna. The spotted dove is a common resident in Taiwan. I came across a bird market in Lhongshan Temple in Taipei selling among others parrots and birds captured in the wild. I am convinced that adult birds are being captured in the wild and I wanted to let at least one of them free. There were both original and non-original species of birds there. I kept asking myself which of the birds had the greatest right to be let free. Finally I let both birds free because animals that are not original residents of a given territory are not responsible for their behaviour and possible negative effects of their behaviour – unlike people. I – a foreigner in front of a bird market – let the Javanese Myna free and I took the spotted dove to the Taroko National Park where I found an indigenous woman and asked her to give the bird freedom.