Matsu Beigan Power Plant – Light of Military Heart

Matsu is a small island chain in Taiwan. The interior of Matsu Beigan Power Plant, a decommissioned power plant from the Cold War and a government-designated off-limits area that few people have seen, is open to the public for the first time from the 2023 Matsu Biennale, where visitors can learn about its cultural history through the lighting as a cyberpunk art space.



The glimmer of lighting illuminates the dusty past, revealing the excavation and construction of the mountain wall by the Army's 257th Division (also known as the Army Spirit Corps) in 1973, as well as two diesel generator sets made by the West German MAN company, still standing in the tunnel, silently accompanying with the passage of time. It has been 30 years since Matsu was relieved of military affairs, and people once again look back at the past history through the lighting.



To enter the power plant, one must first pass through a 30-meter-long passageway, which is lit by vintage German explosion-proof wall lamps with a color temperature of 2,700 K. The faint, nostalgic lighting takes one into a tunnel of history. The control room is a space where the staff used to observe the operation of the thermal power generators. The instrumentation is visually enhanced with accent lighting, and the interior of the equipment cabinets are illuminated with amber light as a metaphor for the operation of the machines.



In the past, all daily life on Matsu depended on the electricity generated by this power plant, which was like the heart of the island. The generator room is like the fiery core of the heart. Everything is an abstract design of energy conversion. Through the faint red and orange light atmosphere, the value and significance of the old machinery and equipment are presented.