媽祖在三個世紀前隨著中國沿海移民來到臺灣，如今媽祖在臺灣不僅是漁民祈求航海平安的對象，更被臺灣廣大信眾奉為台灣守護神。2022年時任美國眾議院議長佩洛西於訪問臺北，臺海再度陷入緊張。作為海上守護神的媽祖自然成為我祈求臺海和平的對象。
旅居倫敦的我每日憂心的看著各家國際媒體連環報導臺灣的危險處境，終決定回臺灣看看自己和身邊的親友在佩洛西來訪後的生活，紀錄成影相。我將這一系列的影像做成明信片，寫上我對媽祖的祈願，附上郵票形狀的金紙燒給媽祖。
注：中國官媒自90年代起，常藉報導兩岸媽祖文化交流活動強調兩岸共同的文化根源，促進臺灣人對中國認同感。
Mazu, the sea goddess who arrived in Taiwan from China three centuries ago, is seen today not only as the protector of the island’s fishermen and sailors, but as the guardian deity of Taiwan as a whole. Over a period of geopolitical instability in the region, heightened by U.S. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei in 2022, Wei-Lun made this series of postcards to ask for Mazu’s protection.
The photographs printed on the postcards document Wei-Lun’s personal journey and his investigation into the impact of Pelosi’s visit on himself and other Taiwanese people around him. In line with the Taoist tradition of burning offerings to gods, Wei-Lun attached stamps made of gold joss paper to the postcards and set them alight, thus delivering them to Mazu.
As Mazu is an important religious figure in both China and Taiwan, Chinese state media has been using this shared connection as an opportunity for propaganda since the late 1990s, emphasising common cultural roots in order to promote the idea of unity between China and the Taiwanese people.
Co-published: Breadfield Press & Witty Books
14.8×10.5×1.5cm
48 pages
限量600本
2025
