YU-CHEN WANG

A new project in progress Sea Forest by Yu-Chen Wang explores Taiwan's coastal landscapes and mangrove ecosystems in the age of climate change

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Sea Forest brings together fieldwork, archival research, and the artist’s conversations with plant and environmental scientists. The project begins with a botanical specimen collected in 1864 in Formosa (now Taiwan) by Richard Oldham (1837–1864) known as Kew’s last collector.

Reflecting on how this specimen preserves an aspect of historical plant diversity, the work considers Taiwan’s ecosystems, which have been significantly altered by industrial development and habitat loss. It also serves as a reminder of botanical exploration under the British Empire, highlighting how imperialism shaped the world’s scientific knowledge and systems of plant classification.

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Mangroves, valued for their carbon sequestration and role as a nature-based climate solution, are increasingly integrated into carbon credit schemes. Yet in Taiwan, some coastlines have undergone mangrove removal to counter ecological imbalances caused by earlier artificial plantings. These interventions aim to restore native biodiversity, including the habitat of the endemic fiddler crab, and highlight the need for more informed conservation strategies.

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Sea Forest traces a narrative of exploitation, extinction, and restoration amid the global challenges of ecological destruction and the climate crisis.​

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