Taipei festival heightens city’s artistic spirit

2015/10/12

An innovative festival showcasing the vibrancy of the emerging contemporary arts scene from around Taiwan and Asia is underway in Taipei City.

“On Site Artfest 2015” comprises an eclectic lineup of 36 concerts, dramas, films and parties staged Oct. 2-18 at Eslite Xinyi Store, Taipei Artist Village, Treasure Hill Artist Village and URS21 Chung Shan Creative Hub.

A visual art competition is also being held as part of the event. A total of 100 young artists from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Indonesia are exhibiting freeform artworks in square-meter spaces at URS21 hub. The winner, who will be announced at the closing ceremony, is to receive a three-month TAV residency.

Festival curator Chou Yun-ru said On Site encourages budding and veteran artists to fuse diverse art forms and create something truly spectacular. “We believe that the sky is the limit for our talents when it comes to artistic expression.”

Echoing Chou’s remarks, TAV Director Wu Dar-kuen said the festival serves as a driver of the modern arts industry in Taiwan.

“This is more like an experimental platform rather than an arts exhibition,” he said. “The shape of the event is shifting from year to year, offering artists fresh opportunities to push the envelope in the creative stakes.”

Highlights of On Site include minimalist drama “Misa-Lisin” by Hualien County-based Langasan Theater. Performed Oct. 9 at THAV, the show features six acts comprising dances and recitals set to music played with instruments fashioned out of natural materials.

Founded in 2012 by Taiwan’s indigenous Amis tribesmen and young amateur Han thespians, Langasan Theater focuses on capturing the purity of life in its productions. The group is a regular international performer, appearing at such events as Avignon Off Festival in 2015 and Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2014.

Equally impressive is the documentary “Never Release My Fists” by Wang Shui-bo from mainland China. Staged Oct. 8 at Eslite Xinyi Store’s screening room, the film depicts the struggles of a punk rock band in Wuhan, Hubei province.

Wang, who was nominated for Best Short Documentary at the Academy Awards in 1999, will take part in a post-screening presentation and Q-and-A with the audience.

Other intriguing activities include a silent disco party where revelers must wear headphones at all times, and a Speaker’s Corner-style gathering at which talents can freely share views on any topic.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=237561&ctNode=2194&mp=9)