Exhibition of Taiwan contemporary art launches in New York

2017/12/05

An exhibition of Taiwan contemporary art kicked off Nov. 30 at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York as part of a government initiative aimed at fostering cultural exchanges and promoting the nation’s artistic environment.
 
 Organized by the Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs, “What Do You See?—Contemporary Art from Taiwan” showcases 19 works by seven artists. The pieces consist of mixed-media creations, paintings, photography collections, sculptures and video installations exploring the gap between objective and perceived realities within the context of modern social development, according to TECO.
 
 Running until Jan. 28, 2018, the exhibition is staged through Art Bank, an MOC program that procures works from Taiwan artists and leases them to government agencies and private companies so as to spotlight the country’s arts scene and nurture local talents.
 
 TECO Director-General Lily L. W. Hsu said the show marks the first time that Art Bank pieces have gone on display in New York. Such exhibitions can play an important role in fostering cross-cultural communication and understanding while helping raise the profile of Taiwan artists, she added.
 
 According to exhibition curator Chen Yan-huei, the featured pieces provide viewers with an intimate look at their creators’ thoughts on issues including the history, society and future development of Taiwan.
 
 Among the works on display is photographer Chen Qing-yao’s “Discovery Channel—Climbing, Hunting and Fishing,” a satirical photo series about explorers from adventure TV shows documenting folk culture in Taiwan. The collection seeks to highlight the mass media’s ability to shape perceptions.
 
 Equally noteworthy is Yeh Yi-li’s sculpture “Scene Object 3.” Comprised of blue-and-white pottery and toy bricks, the work aims to depict the fragmented and idealized memories of youth as well as increasing cultural fusion in contemporary society.
 
 Launched by the MOC in 2013, Art Bank has collected about 1,800 artworks from some 870 artists since its inception. Also under the initiative, the show “Future Allegories: An Exhibition of Taiwanese Contemporary Arts” showcasing 37 pieces by 29 Taiwan artists is running through Oct. 27 next year at the Taipei Representative Office in Singapore.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=18&post=125995)