Art Taipei spotlights Taiwan’s cultural profile

2014-11-03

Art Taipei, one of the biggest events of its kind in Asia, kicked off Oct. 31 at Taipei World Trade Center Hall No. 1, bringing together artists from home and abroad in a four-day celebration of creativity.

“The popularity of the fair is testament to Taiwan’s strong standing in international art community,” Deputy Minister of Culture Lee Ying-ping said Oct. 30 at the opening ceremony. “It also shows that government efforts aimed at building a sound local environment for art development are paying handsome dividends.”

Organized by the Ministry of Culture and Taiwan Art Gallery Association, the event is themed Dear Art and features six sections: classics, galleries, media, new media, projects and young artist discovery. A total of 145 galleries from home and abroad are showcasing more than 3,000 creations from 500-plus talents worldwide.

The exhibition enables visitors to get up close and personal with the works of such artists as Taiwan’s Shih Li-jen, Marc Chagall from France, Yayoi Kusama of Japan, Gerhard Richter from Germany and mainland China-born Zao Wou-ki. Equally important are the creations by eight local young talents, including Ding Pao-yen, Lin Chia-wen and Wu Chien-hsing—selected by the MOC from a field of 111 as representative of Taiwan’s robust art sector.

TAGA Chairman Oliver Chang said foreign emerging artists like Nurrachmat Widyasena from Indonesia and Khairudin Zainudin of Malaysia deserve attention. “Their enormous potential augurs well for the development of the industry throughout the region.”

The event also features the two-day Art Taipei Forum for industry professionals, exploring key issues such as regional market competition and restoration techniques. Other highlights are guided tours, lecture sessions and creation activities facilitated by artists like Tomio Koyama from Japan and Jonathan Paul, aka Desire Obtain Cherish, of the U.S.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=223543&CtNode=413)