The blazing heat of summer is finally soothed by cool autumn breezes, so make the most of the fine weather and check out the 2005 Festival in the Square -- Arts Wonderland (2005兩廳院廣場藝術節－藝術遊樂園).
Slated to begin tonight with a free opening party at CKS Square, the 17-day art festival will span three weekends and offer more than 40 performances by artists and musicians from all over the world, turning the CKS Memorial Hall into a giant art playground for both adults and children alike.
Organized by the Taipei Arts International Association (TAIA)(台北藝術推廣協會), the festival has a dazzling line-up of activities at CKS Square, which has been transformed into a camping ground with a central stage, tent theaters and large installation art pieces.
The programs include theatrical performances grouped under the titles "The Artistic Spark" and "Popcorn Theater;" free-spirited street performances in the "Out Dare Performances;" art and photography exhibitions; film screenings and workshops as part of "Weekday Live" and "Bunch Up the Arts Exhibitions," and the opening and closing party on the main stage.
"The reason why we want to present the festival at the square is that we want to break the serious and unapproachable images of the arts," said festival curator and TAIA director Serina Chen (陳琪). "The audiences at the National Theater and Concert Hall are always the same group of people, who are culturally savvy and sophisticated. Thus we'd like to take the chance and turn the square into a colorful and interactive platform."
"By showing the general public that arts can be playful, interesting and friendly, we wish to broaden the audience base of performing arts in Taiwan."
"Creativity is fun is the central theme of our curatorial direction this year. The audience is encouraged to just go out there, participate and have fun with art," Chen said.
"Out Dare Performances" is the perfect opportunity to see street performances that break the restrictions of the theatrical frame. Les Poules by Groupe Demons et Merveilles from France, and Blite and Sculptures by BK Cie from Germany, will take their giant hens and human sculptures out in the square.
Next weekend, on the street, you are invited to join a clown's party led by circus and acrobatics groups from Canada and Taiwan. As Chen points out, clowns were chosen as representatives of this year's festival and take up their role as guides to fun and joy, as audiences explore the world of the arts.
The "You Do It Pilharmonic" segment promotes interactive musical performances. Hundreds of citizens are invited to register and download their compositions through their mobile phones. On the closing night of the festival, the musicians and participants will play the finished symphony.
333 Dante Soup (333神曲) and Zapptime Remix by French performance group Ci Non Nova will kick off the series The Artistic Spark tomorrow night at the tent theaters on the square.
333 Dante Soup is the result of a one-year collaboration between three theater companies in three Asian cities (Shakespeare's Wild Sisters Group in Taipei, On and On Theater Workshop in Hong Kong and Gimmaku-Yugaku Replicant in Osaka). Each of the group takes the themes of heaven, the world and hell to develop its own creative interpretations based on Dante's Divina Coomedia.
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