Dialogues / artistic-research project created during art residency at Pier-2 Art Center / 2018 / Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

Research and experiments on handmade paper from cellulose derived from residue and leftovers from various plants collected around Taiwan.


Around farmers' fields, night markets, streets, stalls, shops, temples, with the help of wonderful people all over Taiwan, Barbara Mydlak collected decaying plants and organic waste.
She investigated and described the possibilities of reusing this matter and explored methods of obtaining handmade paper from organic remains.
In workshops and lectures, she taught how leftovers could be used to create handmade paper which consequently spawned many new projects and ideas within Taiwan.

The result of her work is a collection of handmade papers titled 'Changes' created from the residue of around 30 plant species.
They had their natural color, smell, texture and characteristics and recognizable features of each species, even after the cellulose extraction process.
Attempts to bleach them led to a loss of individual characteristics, blending, unification. They became indistinguishable, unrecognizable and consequently destroyed.

List of plant material:
Discarded temple bouquets (mix of flowers and leaves)
Indian Almond leaves / Folium Terminalia catappa
Malabar Chestnut leaves / Folium Pachira aquatica
Moso Bamboo leaves / Folium Phyllostachys edulis
Long-branch Bamboo leaves / Folium Phyllostachys aurea
Delonix Regia leaves / Folium Delonix regia
African Tuliptree leaves / Folium Spathodea campanulata
Betel Palm leaves / Folium Areca catechu
Banana leaves / Folium Musa paradisiaca
Paper Mulberry leaves / Folium Broussonetia papyrifera
Coconut Tree leaves / Folium Cocos nucifera
Strelitzia - Bird of Paradise Flower leaves / Folium Strelitzia reginae
Cornstalk Dracaena leaves / Folium Dracaena fragrans
Pineapple leaves / Folium Ananas comosus
Wild Rice stems / Caulis Zizania aquatica
Sugar Cane stems / Caulis Saccharum officinarum
Windamere Palm leaves / Folium Licuala grandis
Cuban Royal Palm leaves / Folium Roystonea regia
Curtain Fig leaves / Folium Ficus microcrapa
Pitaya / Dragon Fruit peels / Epicarp Hylocereus undatus
Papyrus Sedge leaves / Folium Cyperus papyrus
Miniature Date Palm leaves / Folium Phoenix roebelenii
Red Mung Bean fruits / Fructus Vigna radiata
Key Lime peels / Epicarp Citrus aurantiifolia
Maize leaves / Folium Zea mays
Red Ginger leaves / Folium Alpinia purpurata
Giant Elephant Ear leaves / Folium Alocasia macrorrhiza
Lotus leaves / Folium Nelumbo nucifera
Malabar Silk-Cotton Tree leaves / Folium Bombax ceiba


The results of the research were presented at the TAKE AWAY exhibition at Pier-2 Art Center in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan


Supported by the Ministry of Culture Taiwan, Bureau of Cultural Affairs Kaohsiung City Government, Pier-2 Art Center, PAIR Artist in Residence Program

Special thanks to Wei Lin Yang, 姜樂靜, Chia Hui Lu, Su-Ting Yang, 李欣玫, 柯惠秀, 楊智雅, Ferdinand Yang, 林昀澄, Yu Chia Kuo,
Catalina Scoppa, Charinthorn Rachurutchata, 雍晉, 乃仁, Jaime Humphreys, Toshimitsu Kobayashi, Pier-2 Art Center