Taiwanese artist Cheng-Tsung Feng has long navigated the boundaries between craft, memory, and installation art. In Sailing Castle, his latest pavilion in Tainan, he weaves together threads of colonial history, architectural heritage, and maritime symbolism into a singular sculptural structure.
Positioned within the historic Anping Shipyard and amid the canals of Tainan’s West Central District, Sailing Castlegestures to Taiwan’s layered past. Feng draws inspiration from local landmarks such as the Confucius Temple, Fort Zeelandia, and Chihkan Tower—structures that testify to the island’s Dutch colonial era and evolving urban identity.
Visually, Sailing Castle evokes the overlapping sails of wooden vessels gathering in a harbor—an apt metaphor for the convergence of histories and narratives in Taiwan. According to Feng, the structure “cruises through” space and time, prompting viewers to imagine both arrival and departure, stasis and motion.
Constructed primarily from wood, iron, and canvas, the pavilion occupies a delicate space between art installation and functional public architecture. Some platforms and small protruding surfaces allow visitors to sit, pause, or linger—encouraging rest and reflection amid the flow of everyday life. At night, the pavilion is softly illuminated, transforming into a contemplative beacon against Tainan’s urban fabric.
In essence, Sailing Castle isn’t just a visual spectacle. It’s a temporal vessel, navigating through Taiwan’s complex past while anchoring itself in the present. Through this work, Feng asks us to slow down and sense the undercurrents of memory, transition, and continuity.
For more on Cheng-Tsung Feng and his artistic practice, you can visit his website or follow his Instagram.
All images courtesy of Cheng-Tsung Feng
