A group of corporate sponsors, along with local businesses have joined hands to create a treasure hunt in Taipei's East District. What most people would have not imagined, though, is that it centers around exhibitions by more than 40 contemporary artists.
"This is a good opportunity for contemporary art to broaden its appeal and let people know what it is like," said Rita Chang (
The idea for the project came after Chang was riding in a taxi and mentioned a new fine arts museum opening in Taipei and the driver dismissively asked: "What do we need art for?" As one of the founding members of the Taipei Fine Arts Museum and the Dimension Endowment for Art, Chang found inspiration in the driver's slight and hatched a plan to bring contemporary art into the public sphere in an accessible manner.
PHOTO: CHANG JU-PING
Very Fun Park is the largest project she has ever presided over and has involved people from a wide range of fields.
More than 40 young contemporary artists, including illustrators and writers, computer graphic designers, photographers, painters, sculptors and installation artists are featured in the show. Some of the most recognizable names are the digital artist Lin Shu-min (
The project is intended to invite people to stroll through the 30 businesses that have offered exhibition space and look for some of the country's newest art.
PHOTO: CHANG JU-PING
"I did not expect such a big response. Art has always been thought of as tailored to a smaller audience. But then people were saying they would love to join us as sponsors or display venues," says Chang.
The exhibition venues are in the area east of Tunhua South Road (敦化南路) and west of Chungshiao East Road's Alley 216 (忠孝東路216巷) between Civil Boulevard (市民大道) and Jenai Road (仁愛路). This area, typically referred to as the East District (東區), has been creatively renamed in Chinese by Chang for the project as "fen-le-ting" (粉樂町), playing on the English word "fun" and evocative of the teenager hangout Hsimenting (西門町).
People are likely to encounter installations from Very Fun Park in some obvious and some less-obvious spots in the area. Dog lover Peng Hung-chih's (
PHOTO: CHANG JU-PING
Also at Eslite is Lee Ming-jong's (
The cartoonist, writer and illustrator known by the name Red Capsule (
With so many works of art dotting the landscape and storefronts for Very Fun Park, Chang hopes people will be inspired to slip on their walking shoes, slather on some high-SPF sun screen and head out to find some of Taiwan's most innovative art. As Chang said, it's a treasure hunt, so you never know what you'll find.
PHOTO: CHANG JU-PING, TAIPEI TIMES
Very Fun Park will be inaugurated today with a ceremony taking place from 5pm to 7pm outside the Fubon Life Insurance Building at 108 Tunhwa S. Rd., Sec. 1, Taipei (
Where to find the art:
1) Fubon Finance Building
PHOTO: CHANG JU-PING
2) World Chinese Commercial Bank
3) Eslite 2F
4) Eslite GF
5) Eslite B2
6) Dian Ching-pin (點睛品)
7) GEO ART
8) Mod for Hair
9) Cafe inn
10) PS (PS 自私著物)
11) C250 cafe
12) 好碧 DIY 手創館
13) Pacific Design Center
14) YAP!
15) Esprit
16) California Fitness Center
17) Buckaroo
18) Body Map (人體地圖)
19) Taipei Flower Shop (台北花菀)
20) Bird, Taipei (鳥台北)
21) Water Tower (水塔)
22) Tree Shade House (樹蔭宅院)
23) Second Floor Room (二樓房舍)
24) Ching-xiang Tsai (清香齋)
25) Yi-chun Pub (異塵Pub)
26) Yu-dien Music (育典音樂)
27) Hao-yang (好樣)
28) Empty Space (空地)
29) DV8
30) Fubon Life Insurance Building
What: Very Fun Park (粉樂町)
When: Until Sept. 30
Where: The area within Tunhua South Road (敦化南路), Chungshiao East Road's Alley 216 (忠孝東路216巷), Civil Boulevard (市民大道) and Jenai Road (仁愛路)
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