Where is home, Canopus? 

Where is home, Canopus? 

If we cannot see you, how do we remain oriented?

In Western traditions, Canopus is a navigational star used to guide movement across open waters. In Taiwan, however, it becomes the Shou Xing (壽星), known as the Old Man Star or Longevity Star, which is associated with long life and cosmic order. Between these two interpretations, Canopus shifts from a practical tool of orientation to a sacred figure of belief.

Taiwan, shaped by layered histories of migration and diaspora, is a place where orientation must be continuously negotiated. Movements across seas, whether driven by trade, displacement, or colonial routes, have resulted in geographic relocation.

During my visit to a temple dedicated to the Old Man Star, I felt a deep connection bridging the temple and the star, East and West, my ancestors’ journey, and my current life in the Netherlands. Here in the Netherlands, I am on my own, building a home away from home, just as my ancestors once did. This work considers how migration transforms the very act of navigation, ultimately asking: Where is home, Canopus?