Like New Amsterdam, Tainan in the 17th century was an outpost of Dutch influence. While the Dutch colonized all of Taiwan from 1624 to 1662, their capital there was Tainan, and to this day several forts from that era survive in the city and memorialize Dutch sway. Dutch rule over New York stretched from 1609 to 1667. And like New York, Tainan is a port.

The various artists included in this exhibition reflect different aspects of the culture of Tainan or New York, generating snapshots growing out of life experience. In addition to the stresses mentioned below, they react to fissures between male and female, between Taoist folk religion on the one hand and science and technology on the other, and the ever-present strains between rural and urban life.