The Taipei International Arts Festival (台北國際城市藝術節), now independent of the Taipei City Government for two years, promises to be a visual spectacle this year with its theme being "the image" (影像).
"This is by far the most expensive and complex collection of shows that we have brought to Taiwan to date," said Serina Chen (陳琪), director of Taipei Arts International (TAIA, 台北藝術推廣協會). The innovative use of technology by the troupes, especially in the use of digital imaging, contributes to the boldness of the festival as a whole, with many of the performances extending the range of stage art into many new and unexpected realms.
Chen, who has been been a leading force behind the arts festival since its inception four years ago, said that the long period of involvement in this event is beginning to pay dividends, allowing a local group to premiere a cutting-edge performance to represent Taiwan among the many outstanding international groups.
"Since 1999, we have been working toward having image as a theme," Chen said. The effort of TAIA will be seen in Not a Love Story (非愛情故事), the first production of the Image in Motion Theater Company
The premise behind Not a Love Story is in pushing the limits of conventional theater so that projected visual effects are no longer separate from performance. According to Chen Yao
This breaking down of barriers between stage performance and graphics technology is very much in line with the festival's subtitle, "Eye on the Future." Many of the performances selected are intentionally avant-garde, and Chen expects this year's festival to be a powerful inspiration for local artists in extending the scope of performance.
The arts festival opens April 7, kicking off with two street performances by the Stalker Theater Company from Australia outside New York New York department store. Other performances in the festival will be held at the Dr Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, the National Theater and the Taipei Social Educational Hall.
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