Imaging and imagining Taiwan

More about the book

Since the 1990s, identity has been a central topic in Taiwan Studies. This book takes a fresh approach by examining Taiwanese identity through a visual lens, exploring how the island is presented and imagined. It captures the fluidity, changeability, fragmentation, and dynamism of Taiwanese identity as an encompassing whole. The work is divided into three sections: ‘Colonial Representation’ addresses colonial subjectivity; ‘Imaging Difference’ focuses on cultural identity in artistic expressions; and ‘Identity and Place’ investigates the connection between identity and social space. Through seven case studies, the book highlights how Taiwan is represented, the relationship to identity politics, and the visual, social, and symbolic imaging of the island. The contributors, from diverse disciplinary backgrounds such as Literature, History, Film Studies, Linguistics, Anthropology, and Cultural Studies, as well as various geographical contexts including Taiwan, Europe, and America, interrogate the complexities of Taiwanese identity. By blending different themes and approaches, this work offers a nuanced contextualization of identity politics and enriches the discussion surrounding Taiwanese identity.