The past, present and future of Guling Street Avant-garde Theater (牯嶺街小劇場, GLT) are currently on view with GLT Ten Year Exhibition: Discourse on the Future (牯嶺街小劇場十年檔案展暨未來的脈絡論壇). The show not only revisits what the avant-garde theater has achieved over the past decade but hints at what the future holds.
The theater has a long history that dates back to 1906 when it housed police officers during Japanese rule. A century later, the former police station was practically in ruins when theater troupe Body Phase Studio (身體氣象館) took over management in 2005, transforming the place into a lively venue where roughly 70 performances and other events take place each year. Many of the works are collaborations with groups and artists from abroad because the troupe believes in experimental projects that explore communication between different cultures.
The exhibition sheds light on the theater’s history through archives and images. A series of talks and lectures will be held on weekends by artists, curators and scholars from Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, China and Macao who will discuss their thoughts about Asia’s art scene. Participating speakers include Chinese video artist and curator Cao Kai (曹愷), experimental filmmaker and artist Shen Chaofang (沈朝方), Japanese performance artist Seiji Shimoda and KurodalaiJee, a Japanese art historian specializing in post-war avant-garde art in Japan.
Photo courtesy of Lin Yu-quan
■ The event runs through Sept. 25. All activities are free. GLT is located at 2, Ln 5 Guling St, Taipei City (台北市牯嶺街五巷2號). It opens from 1pm to 9pm and is closed on Mondays. For more information go to: www.glt.org.tw.
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