The Zengwen, that river in Taiwan? From above, it resembles ivy. Exactly the pattern you see on a wall when the plant has been removed—the dark lines where the branches ran, the bristly feet with which it rooted itself into the stone—exactly like that, the course of the Zengwen appears when seen from above. The water-body churns its way over rocky ground, scrabbles and anchors itself with fuzzy fingers of water.
Gert-Jan Stam from TAAT is heading there. From October 14 through 20, he visits kindred spirits in Taiwan, people who, like him, are curious to know and support a river. The exchange is part of the 2026 Mattauw Earth Triennial, which has a theme: Swing Meandering — The Inner Foothills of the Zengwen River.
On October 16, Gert-Jan contributes to the programme called International Water Bodies Dialogue——Rights of Nature: Law, Arts Actions and Social Practices by giving a lecture on the ways in which Maaslab collaborates with the Meuse. The following day, on October 17, he gives a workshop in/at/with the Zengwen river.
It’s not accidental that Gert-Jan travels to Taiwan. The invitation stems from a meeting last year during the Confluence of European Waterbodies in Bergen (Netherlands). Last September, another Confluence took place in Berlin. All this to say that, from meeting to meeting, a global web is woven of human and water. This web strengthens itself. Indeed, it shouldn’t be much longer before all waters are recognized as entities with rights, to be approached with dignity (this comes from the manifesto of the Confluence of European Water Bodies).