Theater
Violent Events at GLT (牯嶺街劇場暴力事件), celebrating the 100th birthday of the Guling Street Theater, Body Phase Studio (身體氣象館) includes a mini art festival featuring Crime of the Senses tonight and Murder at the Military History Museum on Sunday.
* Guling Street Theater (牯嶺街小劇場), 2, Ln 5, Guling St, Taipei (台北市牯嶺街5巷2號)
* Free admission
* Tonight at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
The Body and Its Stuffing (皮囊和它的填充物) and To See (看見), two theatrical plays that probe the body and its senses. Combining live performance with installations, the first piece attempts to discover the beauty and ugliness of the body through theater. The second piece addresses humanity's connection with the material world through the act of seeing.
* Guling Street Theater (牯嶺街小劇場), 2, Ln 5, Guling St, Taipei (台北市牯嶺街5巷2號)
* Tickets are NT$200, available through NTCH ticketing
* Monday and Tuesday at 7:30pm
The Writing (書寫), a joint effort of artists from musical, dance and theater circles, the cross-over performance attempts to use language, music, imagery to form metaphors and reflections.
* Experimental Theater (國家實驗劇場), 21-1 Zhongshan S Rd, Taipei (台北市中山南路21-1號)
* Tickets are NT$300 and can be purchased through NTCH ticketing
* Tomorrow at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
A Play of Brother and Sister (兄妹串戲), a restaging of Contemporary Legend Theater's (當代傳奇劇場) lauded production that can be best described as a hip-hop comedy blending elements from traditional Chinese opera with modern-day numbers with a twist of nonsensical humor.
* Ringside (聚場), B2, 10 Siwei Rd, Taipei (臺北市四維路10號B2)
* Free admission
* Tomorrow at 8pm
Classical Music
Image Chamber Orchestra's 2006 Summer Concert — Tribute to Mozart (映樂室內樂團2006夏日音樂會—向莫札特致敬) will be held at the Music Hall in the Xi Hu Branch of Taipei Public Library (台北市立圖書館西湖分館4樓音樂廳). The concert will introduce various musical forms and styles of Mozart, whose 250th anniversary is being celebrated throughout the world. The orchestra is a professional performance group composed of highly dedicated teachers working together to provide the best possible music education. The program will include Mozart's Divertimento in D Major for strings K136 and K138, Quartet in G Major for Flute, Violin, Viola and Cello K285b, Piano Trio K498, Quintet in A Major for Clarinet, two Violins, Viola and Cello K581, eight pieces from Don Giovanni for Two Clarinets, Six Duo for Clarinets edited from Mozart's Pieces, some excerpts from The Magic Flute, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, and others.
* At the Concert Hall in the Xi Hu Branch of Taipei Public Library, 4F, 594, Neihu Rd, Sec 1, Taipei (台北市內湖路一段594號4樓)
* Free Admission
* Saturday at 2:30pm
Nuance Chamber Ensemble 2006 Concert (微分音室內樂集) will tour Ilan, Taipei, Hsinchu and Taoyuan starting this Sunday. The ensemble is composed of guest violist Huang Tung-ying (黃東瀛), violinists Tsai Shih-chien (蔡詩肩) and Lin Wen-hsuan (林文宣), violist Hu Chu-yin (胡竹音) and cellist Hsieh Meng-jung (謝孟容). The program will include Mendelssohn's String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 13 and Brahms' String Quintet in G Major, Op. 111
* Sunday at the Ilan Performing Arts Center, Ilan County Cultural Affairs Bureau, 482, Zhongshan Rd, Sec 2, Ilan City (宜蘭市中山路二段482號), Wednesday at the National Recital Hall, Taipei, Thursday at Hsinchu Municipal Auditorium (新竹市立演藝廳), 17 Tungta Rd Sec 2, Hsinchu City (新竹市東大路二段17號) and Sept. 1 at the Performing Arts Hall of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Taoyuan County Government (桃園縣政府文化局演藝廳), 21 Xianfu Rd, Taoyuan County (桃園市縣府路21號)
* Free admission for the Taoyuan concert. Tickets are NT$100 for the Ilan and Hsinchu concerts and NT$200 to NT$500 for the Taipei concert, available through NTCH ticketing
* Sunday at 2:30pm, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30pm, and Sept. 1 at 7:30pm
Soprano Chen Mei-ching Recital (女高音陳美晴獨唱會) will present opera fans with a special vocal treat at the National Recital Hall on Thursday. Accompanied by pianist Lin Mei-ching (林梅菁), Chen will sing Vivaldi's Domine Deus Gloria, Tosti's Serenade lo Voglio Amarti, Saint-Saens' Air du Rossignol, Handel's Tornami a Vagheggiar Alcina, Rossini's Come Tacer la Cambiale di Matrimonio, and Verdi's Dilette Amiche Siciliana.
* At the National Recital Hall, Taipei
* Tickets are NT$200 to NT$500 and are available through NTCH ticketing
* Thursday at 7:30pm
Contemporary
The Wall (這牆) presents Ra:IN — Rock and Inspiration from Japan tonight. The band's CD Before the Siren went on general release in Taiwan yesterday. The rock outfit was formed in 2002 by Pata (formerly of Dopeheadz and X-Japan), Michiaki (formerly of TENSAW) and Tetsu Mukaiyama (formerly of Red Warriors and Cocco). Also tonight, Sonar Production presents Nu.Play 2 with DJs Kaoru, Wayne909 and A-Tao. Tomorrow, Echo (熊寶貝) is throwing a single release party. On Sunday, Goodbye!Nao! is playing.
* Entrance for tonight's gig is NT$1,500 at the door and NT$1,200 in advance, for the Sonar Production party tickets are NT$500, tomorrow's show is NT$500 at the door and Sunday's gig is NT$400 at the door
* Tonight's concert begins at 7:30pm. The party starts at 11:30pm, tomorrow. Sunday's shows begin at 8pm
* B1, 200 Roosevelt Rd, Sec 4, Taipei (台北市羅斯福路4段200號B1). Call (02) 2930-0162 or visit www.the-wall.com.tw
Underworld (地下社會) presents Kenny from Casino (賭場肯尼) and Punk Hoo (胖虎) tonight, and Varo and Green! Eyes (綠色眼睛) tomorrow.
* Doors open at 8pm and the shows start at 9pm
* Entrance costs NT$300 at the door
* B1, 45 Shida Rd, Taipei (台北市師大路45號B1). Call (02) 2369-0103
The Living Room (小客廳) presents Black Sheep (黑羊藍調) tonight, Minstral tomorrow, Aura and Insanity on Tuesday, and White Eyes (白目) and Bone (骨頭) on Wednesday.
* Tonight and tomorrow's concert begins at 10pm, Tuesday and Wednesday's at 8:30pm
* Entrance for all shows is NT$400 except tomorrows which is NT$450
* 3F, 8 Nanjing E Rd, Sec 5, Taipei (台北市南京東路五段8號3樓). Call (02) 8787-4154 or visit www.livingroomtaipei.com
Nuno's Live House (老諾) presents DAS, Thought of an Instant (片刻思維) and Flip 18 tonight, Hercules (海克力斯), Even Slightly (恕) and Question Mark (問號) tomorrow, Punkhoo (胖虎) Children Sucker (表兒) and Wasabi (哇沙米) on Sunday.
* All shows begin at 8:30pm
* Entrance for tonight and Sunday's shows is NT$250, for tomorrow NT$300
* B1, 2, Alley 3, Tungyuen Lane, Chunggang Rd, Longjing Township, Taichung County (台中縣龍井鄉中港路東園巷3弄2號B1). Call (04) 2652-9768 or visit www.nuno.idv.tw
Grooveyard presents the DoLittles with Delta 9 Ass Spank tonight and Canadian rocker Shaun tomorrow.
* The shows begin at 10pm
* Entrance for both gigs is NT$200
* 2F, 105 Hwamei W Rd, Taichung (台中市華美西街105號二樓). Visit www.grooveyardtaiwan.com
Exhibition
2006 Season of Science: Diversity in Taiwan (2006科學季:多樣性台灣特展), to encourage the general public to respect and embrace different lifestyles and ways of thinking, this special exhibition invites viewers to appreciate the island's rich diversity through various topics ranging from native fauna and flora, landscapes, religions, languages, cultures, arts and economic activities.
* CKS Memorial Hall (國立中正紀念堂), 21 Zhongshan S Rd, Taipei (台北市中山南路21號). Open Monday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm. Call (02) 2343-1118
* Until Sept. 24
Cultivating the Inner Tranquility — Pottery Exhibition by Literati (怡情陶性–文人陶畫展), featuring over 100 pieces of pottery art by more than 60 renowned artists and litterateurs in Taiwan. The artists turn functional items of earthenware into artworks through different pottery techniques, both modern and ancient, while the litterateurs bring art to life with brush strokes.
* Cathay United Art Center (國泰世華藝術中心), 7F, 236, Dunhua N Rd, Taipei (台北市敦化北路236號7樓). Open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm. Call (02) 2717-0988
* Until Sept. 16
As Is When: A Boom in British Printmaking, 1961-1972 (版藝盛代—60年代英國版畫精品展), featuring over 60 printmaking pieces selected from the British Council's collection to introduce the art form during the 1960s when screen printing emerged as a fine art medium. Along with screen prints, the exhibition presents etchings and lithographs by many major practitioners of the time including Eduardo Paolozzi, David Hockney, Patrick Caulfiel and Richard Hamilton.
* National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (國立台灣美術館), 2 Wuchuan W Rd Sec 1, Taichung (台中市五權西路一段2號). Open Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm. Call (04) 2372-3552
* Until Nov. 12
A Specimen of Memory — Video Installation by Huang Tzu-chin (記憶標本–黃子欽的影像裝置展). As a recording of the artist's 100 ways of looking back at memory in flow, the installation art piece conjures up a space where memory and imagination collide.
* Taiwan International Visual Arts Center (台灣國際視覺藝術中心), 29, Ln 45, Liaoning St, Taipei (台北市遼寧街45巷29號1樓). Open Tuesday to Friday from 11am to 7pm; Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 5pm. Call (02) 2773-3347
* Until Sept. 13
Altered States (疆界), featuring video, sound and installation pieces by 10 local and international artists that examine boundaries formed by different social mechanisms. The exhibition seeks to reflect on the collective consciousness of time and memory through individual inner exploration.
* Taipei Fine Arts Museum (台北市立美術館), 181 Zhongshan N Rd Sec 3, Taipei (台北市中山北路三段181號). Open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30am to 5:30pm. Call (02) 2595-7656
* Until Sept. 3
The year was 1991. A Toyota Land Cruiser set out on a 67km journey up the Junda Forest Road (郡大林道) toward an old loggers’ camp, at which point the hikers inside would get out and begin their ascent of Jade Mountain (玉山). Little did they know, they would be the last group of hikers to ever enjoy this shortcut into the mountains. An approaching typhoon soon wiped out the road behind them, trapping the vehicle on the mountain and forever changing the approach to Jade Mountain. THE CONTEMPORARY ROUTE Nowadays, the approach to Jade Mountain from the north side takes an
Last week Joseph Nye, the well-known China scholar, wrote on the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s website about how war over Taiwan might be averted. He noted that years ago he was on a team that met with then-president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), “whose previous ‘unofficial’ visit to the US had caused a crisis in which China fired missiles into the sea and the US deployed carriers off the coast of Taiwan.” Yes, that’s right, mighty Chen caused that crisis all by himself. Neither the US nor the People’s Republic of China (PRC) exercised any agency. Nye then nostalgically invoked the comical specter
Relations between Taiwan and the Czech Republic have flourished in recent years. However, not everyone is pleased about the growing friendship between the two countries. Last month, an incident involving a Chinese diplomat tailing the car of vice president-elect Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) in Prague, drew public attention to the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) operations to undermine Taiwan overseas. The trip was not Hsiao’s first visit to the Central European country. It was meant to be low-key, a chance to meet with local academics and politicians, until her police escort noticed a car was tailing her through the Czech capital. The
April 15 to April 21 Yang Kui (楊逵) was horrified as he drove past trucks, oxcarts and trolleys loaded with coffins on his way to Tuntzechiao (屯子腳), which he heard had been completely destroyed. The friend he came to check on was safe, but most residents were suffering in the town hit the hardest by the 7.1-magnitude Hsinchu-Taichung Earthquake on April 21, 1935. It remains the deadliest in Taiwan’s recorded history, claiming around 3,300 lives and injuring nearly 12,000. The disaster completely flattened roughly 18,000 houses and damaged countless more. The social activist and