TAIA's Chen is very aware of the risks that both the organization and the performers are taking in presenting this idea of multiplicity in the arts. At a press conference to announce the opening of the festival last week, Chen pointed out that incorporating two or more performance mediums is not a case of one plus one equals two. "It can just as easily be one plus one equals zero," she said.
From an organizational and financial point of view, the boldest development in the festival is found in its name. Previously, the festival has been centered on Taipei -- as indeed most major arts activity invariably is -- so the change of the events name to Formosa International Arts Festival is intended to embrace the whole of Taiwan, and this effort can be seen in the program, in which shows are spread out over not just a multiplicity of venues around Taipei, but also venues in Hsinchu, Changhua, Taichung, Kaohsiung and Tainan. This national outlook for a festival of modern arts has been made possible by subsidies from the Council of Cultural Affairs.
The World Music Festival, which last year took place under the umbrella of the arts festival, will this year have a totally separate identity and has been scheduled for late July or August.
More information about the festival can be found at its Web site at http://www.taf.org.tw. Ticketing is available through ERA at http://www.ticket.com.tw or by calling (02) 2341-9898.
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