City Yeasts Movements Broadcast Overseas School Yeasts US Project

Mimi Ye - Poem, starting from the heart; the eye for appreciation, starting from introspection.

(photo taken on 2013/06/13)

Time:2013/6/13 19:00~21:30
Venue:No. 66, Sec. 2, Jinan Road, Taipei City
Experience:

Graduate of Creative Writing and English Literature, Dong Hwa University, MFA in movie creations at the Art Institute of Chicago, video editing for City Camping held by City Yeast, Living Tomorrow, Taipei Forum (Reference: City Yeast website)

  1. Talk about yourself

    2. I started writing poems since 19, but I hadn’t had any “noble” feelings about poems until participating in a poetry contest. I used to be very interested in English poems, liking their rhymes describing the quiet and peaceful countryside. In 2005, I went to Green Island for internship and I had a memorable experience. Then I went to Chicago for video production, finding out that film fuses videos and poems. I was deeply touched by how America believes that a poet is an artist. For me, poetry is a cure to the heart which allows me to enjoy serenity and peace. I am a dreamer, and I think everyone can be a poet if he or she views the world with a pure heart. My poems are extra dimensional and surreal; I like them to be full of plots. A poem should start from the heart and be closely related to life.

  2. Where do your inspirations come from?

    3. My poems are inspired by "travel" .

  3. Could you tell us about your journey in video production?

    4. I went through random shooting, then to poem writing, and then to video arrangement.

  4. What influenced you the most?

    5. Hualien. I have deep respect for nature and often write poems about mountains and seas. I like the quiet countryside. I also admire Franz Kafka who is an Austrian German novelist. The surrealism in his works impresses me very much.

  5. Which part of Taipei do you like the most?

    6. Wanhua has kept the traditional features of Taipei. It’s like a night market. However, the densely populated Hsini doesn’t impress me that much. I think development should rotate around “life”. We should feel it with a peaceful heart. I realize Taipei is losing agriculture, which is an important issue that we must face.

  6. Which city do you think is the model for an ideal city?

    7. I have to say Chicago, extensive view of Lake Michigan with soft white snow... I like the atmosphere there. I also like Berlin, where new architecture merges with the old, with no pressure of tourists and you can appreciate arts quietly. I suggest that Taipei should strive to go green.

  7. What’s your reflection on participation in City Yeast activities?

    8. From City Yeast, I gained deeper knowledge about Taipei. Especially during the camping on Civic Avenue, I learned A LOT about Taipei . I felt like the the gap between this city and me is gone. I heard city sounds changing constantly throughout the day. It is an unprecedented experience. Very impressive!

  8. What kind of city do you want Taipei to be changed by City Yeast?

    9. If all natural landscapes of Taipei are gone, Taiwan would be uprooted. And if components of other places are added to Taipei, it would lose its originality and features. I hope more natural greenness can be added to the city.

  9. If you have to choose a color to represent Taiwan, what would it be?

    10. Green and brown, the colors of vegetable farm, worms, birds, animals, customs, hospitality. These are the beauty of Taiwan.

  10. What do you suggest us to do?

    11. Artistic utilization of recycling products. We should let our city "breathe", and we can start from incorporating art into parks. There should be more flowers, grass, trees and other green stuff. Moreover, Taipei needs space for busy citizens to sit down and listen to it.

  11. What are the flaws of modern art?

    12. Modern arts focus too much on academics, and it is hallow; it has no culture in it. We should go back to the essence of art, start from our heart, meditate, and listen to our heart. For example, the beauty of Chinese characters (traditional) should be passed on by everybody. The eye for appreciation should be inspired by introspection. We should practice sitting still, breathing and seclusion with the world (experience of Mumbai).

(photo taken on 2013/06/13)

Feedback

To me, a poet is free-spirited and isolated. However, this interview changed my mind. Mimi ye loves nature and enjoys observing our crowded and fast-paced city. As a city observer, Mimi Ye takes pictures occasionally, capturing interesting and inspiring moments in the streets. Through Mimi Ye’s introduction, I learnt that in the plain streets of Taipei, every single second is special and worth remembering, for example: there’s love in a mother’s action when she sends her child down the street to school holding her child’s hand, hoping that her child would become a successful man someday. I also tried her method of observing the city. With my camera, I took numerous pictures despite the undetailed composition and all the components that makes a good photograph. I highly recommend this method, because through this method, we get to observe Taipei’s true colors. During Mimi Ye’s interview, I learnt a lot from this unique city observer and established a brand new perspective towards my city Taipei.

(written by Hsi-Ching Tsao)