Author:Huang Tzu-Ming(1960-)

Category：Digital Print

Year：2013~2013

Size:Length:47.6 x Width:68.1 (cm)

Size description：影像尺寸：縱H：40.6cm，橫W：61cm 夾裱尺寸：縱H：60.5cm，橫W：76cm

Introduction：During the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, the United Nations forces led by the U.S.A captured a total of 21,300 Chinese war prisoners. Among these war prisoners, some from the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army decided to return to mainland China after their release; and some decided to move to Taiwan. These young men, who left their homeland and had no right to refuse, were called “anti-communist heroes”, a name given to the mainlanders that decided to come to Taiwan by the government of the Republic of China. After arriving in Taiwan, 9,234 of these “anti-communist heroes” were included and trained to join the national army, and had led different lives ever since.
In the Korean War prisoner camp back then, procommunist and anti-communist war prisoners had intense conflicts. The Nationalist government sent out agents to infiltrate the camp and launched a “tattoo movement”. Those who came to Taiwan later all had anti-communist totems or text tattoos of various sizes on their bodies. The motivations for getting the tattoos varied, however: some got the tattoos due to a resolute anti-communist stance, whereas others received the tattoos against their free will, and consequently had no choice but to come to Taiwan because they dared not go back to China with anti-communist slogan tattoos. No matter their reasons, they were all separated from their families for decades due to the political tattoos on their skin. The prime of their lives thus became almost a lifetime of separation from their loved ones.
In 1987, the former president Chiang Ching-Kuo announced that family visits to China were allowed. In order to return to the homeland and reunite with their families, these anti-communist war prisoners tried various means to get rid of their political tattoos. Some used laser; some surgically removed the tattoos and stitched up the wounds; and others applied chemicals on the tattooed skin, making it uneven and creased. Ironically, they all had to leave new marks on their bodies so that they could reunite with their loved ones
that they had not seen for decades.
Throughout the flow of the grand history, these veterans who fought in the Korean War were deprived of the simplest and most basic right to be themselves. They could only bear the historical suffering with their skin, which was used for displaying ideology and power. (Mandarin text provided by the artist.)

Accession number:NCP2020-006-0021