No Man’s Land

Jacqueline Wu, Yi Hsin Chang

No Man’s Land explores the paradoxical state of political boundaries and demilitarized zones. There is a compelling narrative of irony in these divisive spaces, where humans have forcefully inserted themselves in nature, but can no longer return due to fear of remnant military weaponry. And so a border so fiercely guarded is also fiercely protected: due to decades of human absence, the ecosystems have regained control and become flourishing sanctuaries for once-endangered species.

Intended as a spatial narrative, the piece emphasizes boundaries that are erected not by the height of fences but the length and depth of devastation and patrol. The borders are a testament to the legacy of war that we inherited from generations past, and a mirror to current nationalistic trends towards shutting doors and building walls. But, No Man’s Land also aims to tell the story of the poetic resilience of nature and the delicacy of the human body.