First NTT photography contest winners honored

2014-12-19

Winners of the inaugural National Taichung Theater Photography Contest were awarded Dec. 17 by the local government, underscoring its efforts to highlight the beauty of the central Taiwan structure.

The top three prizes in the original excellence category went to works by Chou Pi-chen, Shih Hsien-hsiao and Chang Yi-tsung, while pieces by six competitors such as Chang Ya-ting, Cho Chih-ming and Lai Ching-lin took home awards in the creative manifestation section.

Titled “Parental Bond,” Chou’s picture stood out for featuring the shadow of a father holding his child during a spectacular 3-D light show. “As a mother, I have been deeply moved by such intimate moments and wanted to capture this scene,” the winner from southern Taiwan’s Pingtung County said.

Another equally exceptional piece was from Taichung resident Cho. His works “Moon and the NTT” and “Water Dance at NTT” were honored with a merit award in the creative manifestation category and a judges’ list award in the original excellence category, respectively.

Cho said he devoted a great deal of effort to successfully combining such elements as a total lunar eclipse and common reeds to create visual harmony.

Selected from among a field of 1,091 submissions from around Taiwan, 65 pictures were honored at the competition, and their composers shared prize money of NT$150,000 (US$4,758).

“The National Taichung Theater is an architectural wonder and a new cultural spotlight for our city with its cutting-edge design and versatile functionality,” Taichung City Mayor Jason Hu said at the presentation ceremony held at the city hall.

“In hosting this contest, we hope to encourage the public to appreciate the structure’s magnificence and highlight its prominence as a venue ushering in a new era for the performing arts in Taiwan,” Hu stressed.

The facility, designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito, a Pritzker Architecture Prize winner, features a beamless design and irregular curved walls. The NT$4.36 billion project took five years to complete.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=225358&CtNode=413)