The establishment of artist villages around Taiwan was first proposed in 1991 as part of the central government's Six-year National Construction Plan (六年國建計劃), when the Executive Yuan decided to build a single, large artist village in central Taiwan. A 29-hectare plot in Jeoujeoufeng (九九峰) in Nantou (南投) was earmarked for a multi-functional space that would house resident artists as well as spaces for them to exhibit their art. International artist exchanges were also in the works.
Nature threw a wrench in these plans when the 921 earthquake destroyed the proposed site in 1999, just as preparations were underway. The entire project was then aborted, a casualty of the central government's bureaucratic reforms. A new office, the Artist Village Resource Center
Taipei Artist Village, Pier 2 Artist Village
This year's subsidy was used to establish the new F3 Artist Village in Pingtung, Chichi Artist Village (
With the single exception of Sha-hu-li Artist Village, which was built on donated private land, the artist villages were constructed on land formerly occupied by government entities -- such as old state-run factories and piers.
This practice was inspired by artist communities in the West, namely Soho, where governments subsidized their artists by providing them with a place to live. But in Taiwan, the yearly NT$24 million government subsidy was only to last three years. The government then cut this figure to NT$10.8 million last year, and it cancelled the planned third year altogether.
In order to make up for the shortfall, the Artist Village Resource Center has started working with local culture halls instead. The existing artist villages will have to apply to local governments or Cultural Affairs Bureau as part of local culture halls in order to receive government funding, which is no longer guaranteed.
The sudden termination of the funding has roused discontent among artist village management. Chiao-zai-tou Artist Village, one of the more highly regarded artist villages in Taiwan, has been functioning mainly with the help of volunteer workers since their share of this year's subsidy is not enough to run the village. The cancellation of next year's subsidy means that things have gone from bad to worse.
"Artists are idealistic by nature. The artists running the village were willing to maintain the village for very little money in return. But the policy shift made us realize the government is not committed to the project. The term `artist village' was just a slogan, casually dropped a couple of years after it went out of fashion. Next time the government comes up with some other slogan, we won't know whether or not to trust them," village head Chen Hsian-song (陳賢頌) said. Chen's monthly salary is a paltry NT$10,000.
Policy shift
The government's ambiguity and abrupt change of course has resulted, Chen said, in a "waste" of artistic potential. "A space for art requires permanent plans and continual funding so that art will slowly take root in the community," Chen said, lamenting the discontinuation of funding before the end of the three-year period during which the Cultural Affairs Council had promised to subsidize artist villages.
Despite losing its main source of funding, Chiao-zai-tou, on the basis of two years of sound management and extensive interaction with the local community, stands a good chance of getting local government subsidies should it apply for them. Other artist villages will have to scrape by, except perhaps Taipei Artist Village, which is generously supported by the Taipei City Government.
After the current term of artist residency expires next week, Pier 2 Artist Village, also in Kaoshiung, will have to turn to the city government for funding. Expecting to receive less than half of their current subsidy, the management is looking for ways to make up for the shortfall. Residences, previously free, will be leased to artists, and visitors will be charged for the performances and exhibitions it hosts.
"For the past nine months since we opened, all activities have been free because we need to bring the public in to this new place. Pier 2 is very big but not easy to reach," said Chang Fu-mei
Despite this good will, the village risks floundering. Long-term plans for art shops, classrooms, studios, performance venues for rent have been shelved due to lack of funding to set them up. "We planned to make use of these facilities or to have them on lease so that we could finance the village on our own. But refurbishing them takes money and we don't know where the money is yet," Chang said.
Some artist villages have fared even worse. The management of Sha-hu-li, opened for six months, is currently running the village on money they personally borrowed because their share of the subsidy was used up in two months.
New plans
An-ping Artist Village, still in the early stages of development, will now shift to become a "special cultural zone." Qualified as one of Taiwan's "national historical scenic areas" and located at a former Tai-salt factory near An-ping harbor, it will continue to receive funding from the local government. The multi-functional village will be a tourist spot, drawing part of its income from entrance and performances fees.
Also banking on tourism is Matsu's Ching-bi Artist Village, which is composed of historic buildings and surrounded by the island's unsullied nature. Organizers hope this will lure tourists and those artists who can afford to rent space in the village.
Most artist villages have accepted the fact that they have to finance themselves.
"Artist villages would be ill-advised to rely on the government alone. They have to find local funding," Liu Yung-ren
Wu Ma-li
"The government practically transferred part of the Jeoujeoufeng budget to the establishment of local artist villages. It was never meant to be permanent," Wu said. A permanent solution to the funding problem is to draw in private businesses, as is done in the US.
At present, the most famous privately funded art establishment in Taiwan is the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipei. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and Quanta Computer donated a combined total of 50 percent of the funds for its establishment.
"This sort of practice needs to be encouraged," Wu said. "The government's over-generosity gave rise to a surplus of artist villages. Now the better-managed of these will survive and find their own sources of funding, hopefully with some help from businesses."
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