Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee discounted such thinking, saying, “There is a group of people, maybe on account of political ideology — they support Taiwanese independence — so they’re uncomfortable.”
“I think they’re supporting cultural protectionism,” she declared. “Cultural protectionism and economic protectionism are the same. The moment you adopt protectionism, you are no longer competitive. And when you’re not competitive, you die out.”
THE COMMERCIAL FACTOR
While collecting information for this article, one TFAM staffer asked me privately, “Don’t you think our relationship with the local contemporary arts community has gotten weaker in the last couple years? That’s the feeling I have.”
Beyond the new China quotas, an even more dramatic trend at TFAM and other museums has been a new commercial focus. Museums, which traditionally focused on public education and the development of local artists, are feeling pressure to host blockbusters, or what Yao likes to refer to as “super exhibitions.” These involve big budgets, heavy private sector sponsorship and lots of merchandizing.
At TFAM, the crowning example is “Pixar: 20 Years of Animation,” a survey of artwork from Pixar’s animated films that opened last year just around the release of the studio’s latest movie, Up. On the show’s strength, total visits to TFAM surged to 1.1 million in 2009, compared to a previous annual high of around 400,000.
“TFAM is not just for a minority group of artists. This is not its function,” explained Lee. “From the perspective of a government investment — and we invest a lot of money — are we providing a service to 400,000 people, or are we providing a service to 1.1 million people?”
“Let’s open Disneyland if you want numbers,” countered Yang. “Once you accept the numerical argument, then every other argument is dead. It’s no longer about quality or content.”
Because of the controversies surrounding Cai’s exhibition, it has not racked up huge statistics. But it is certainly part of the new breed of super exhibitions, and more than any other at TFAM to date, it has seen the museum surrender control of both exhibition content and management. Works were largely selected by Eslite, which contributed about NT$70 million of the exhibition’s NT$80 million budget. The company also handled advertising, off-site ticket sales and extensive merchandizing.
In a scathing review of the arrangement, art critic Chang Hsiao-hong (張小虹) wrote in the United Daily News that the exhibition “has turned the dignified Taipei Fine Arts Museum into an oversized Eslite Gallery.”
Hsu also believes there is a clear danger to the museum’s integrity.
“This is a way [for museums] to open the door to the art market, and say, ‘if you have money, you can do anything you want here,’” he said.
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