The Flowing Sea — Paris
"The sea is flowing. Once you write it down, it stops. You have to be a part of it, not just record it."
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"The sea offers you what it will, you can only accept, not demand.”
Tides and waves are inscribed in the body’s memory, much like the act of weaving, a memory etched into daily physical labor, passed down from generation to generation. The sea is ever-flowing; as the elders of a tribe would tell the younger ones, "Once written down, it stops." One must participate in it, not merely record it. Thus, she began brewing wine and weaving.
"Building a bookstore is a way to discover who you are."
An antiquarian bookstore is often passed down through generations, much like oral history, connecting the present moment with distant times and places. Mingtang follows the currents of Taiwanese culture, tracing the relics of the Austronesian peoples and the ebb and flow of the Age of Exploration, seeking its own path through ancient maps.
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「大海給你多少東西，你只能接受，不能要求。」
潮汐和海浪，是刻在身體裡的記憶，編織也是在每天的身體勞動裡刻下的，一代傳一代的身體記憶。海是流動的，一個部落的老人家這樣對年輕人說，寫下來就停住了，要參與其中，而不只是紀錄，於是她開始釀酒和編織。
「開書店，是想要尋找自己是誰。」
古書店時常是一代傳一代的，像是口傳歷史，連結此時此刻與遙遠時空的風土。憫堂跟著台灣文化流動，追尋南島語族與大航海時代流轉再遷徙的文物的蹤跡，從古地圖尋找自己的路徑。
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The Flowing Sea
On the Woven Objects of Austronesian Peoples and the Stories of Maritime Routes
The exhibition "The Flowing Sea" will be presented at Une Fille aux Cheveux Noir in Paris, highlighting the weaving crafts of Austronesian peoples and the cultural exchanges that have occurred along ancient maritime routes.
Kamaro’an, meaning "a place to live" in the Pangcah language, represents the evolution of universal craft objects rooted in Austronesian weaving traditions. During the exhibition, Pangcah craftsmen Nacu Dongi and Imay Apong from Taiwan’s eastern coast will present ancestral objects, providing on-site care and restoration for Kamaro’an products, thus intertwining tradition with modern craftsmanship.
The exhibition also showcases maps and ancient artifacts gathered by Mintang Bookstore along the historical maritime routes, presented alongside Austronesian cultural relics. Through the meticulous documentation of the bookstore, ancient wooden mortars, pottery, and other objects are reimagined within the context of intersecting time and space, offering visitors a glimpse into the pure beauty of cultural fluidity.
Une Fille aux Cheveux Noir, a vessel of cultural exchange, will anchor in the Marais district of Paris, serving as a bridge between Eastern and Western cultures. The exhibition warmly invites each guest to embark on a journey exploring the confluence of culture and history.
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海是流動的：巴黎
關於南島語系的編織物件，以及航海路徑上的事情
「海是流動的」展覽將在巴黎的 Une Fille aux Cheveux Noir 展出，聚焦於南島語族的編織工藝與航海歷史中的文化交融。
Kamaro’an 在阿美族語中意為「安居之所」，我們從南島語族的編織長出普世的工藝物件。展覽期間，來自台灣東部海岸的阿美族工藝師 Nacu Dongi 與 Imay Apong 會帶來的家裡老器物，並為參觀者保養與修復 Kamaro’an 的產品，讓傳統與現代相互交織。
展覽中，憫堂書店在大航海路線上搜集的地圖與古物，並與南島語族的歷史器物一同展出。透過書店的記錄，古老的木杵、陶罐等物件在交錯的時空中再現，讓觀者得以一窺文化流動中的純粹之美。
巴黎的 Une Fille aux Cheveux Noir，這艘文化之舟，近年在瑪黑區停泊，成為東西方文化交流的橋樑，誠摯邀請每位來賓一同探索文化與歷史的交融之旅。
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The exhibition features contemporary works by Kamaro’an alongside historical artifacts collected by Mingtangbooks, exploring the connections between land and sea.
Over the past few centuries, the ancient islands of the Austronesian peoples have been layered with a diverse and vibrant mix of cultures and eras. These artifacts bridge the visible and invisible, land and sea, offering us a window into various cultural landscapes.
Our exploration aims to trace our cultural contexts through the intersection of ancient objects and maritime routes, and to reflect on how these artifacts are presented in the current moment.
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展覽呈現了 Kamaro’an 的當代作品，並展示了由憫堂書局收藏的歷史文物，探索土地與海洋之間的聯繫。
在過去幾個世紀中，這座古老的南島民族島嶼覆蓋著多元且充滿活力的文化與時代。這些文物連結了可見與不可見、陸地與海洋，為我們提供了一扇洞察各個文化面貌的窗口。
我們的探索旨在通過古物與海上航路的交織，追溯我們的文化脈絡，並反思這些文物在當下的呈現方式。
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The Flowing Sea | La mer toujours recommencée
by Kamaro'an | @kamaroan.studio & Mingtangbooks | @mingtangbooks
Paris Design Week
September 6th-14th
13h00-18h00
Une Fille Aux Cheveux Noirs | @a_unefille.paris
11 Rue du Perche 75003 Paris
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The Flowing Sea | Kamaro’an SS25 Collection
Paris Fashion Week
September 27th-29th
11h00-18h00
Dune Showroom | @dune_intl_showroom
30 Rue du Château d'Eau 75010 Paris
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