Kees Goudzwaard is a Dutch artist whose work occupies a space between collage and painting. He creates two-dimensional assemblages using paper, acetate and other materials, then reproduces them with oil paints on canvas at a 1:1 scale. This meticulous process is a commentary on the concept of time in cultural production, and a resistance of the accelerating rate of mass production and consumption. His solo exhibition Nursery Garden (“剪”與“集”的溫室) at Nunu Fine Art presents paintings from the last three years. Art historian Ilaria Bonacossa writes that Goudzwaard’s practice may trace back to postmodernist trends from the mid-1980s and 1990s. At this time, when his career was just beginning, ideas about authorship, appropriation and the future of painting were critical points of artistic discussion.
■ Nunu Fine Art (路由藝術), 5, Ln 67, Jinshan S Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市金山南路一段67巷5號); tel: (02) 3322-6207. Open Wednesdays to Sundays, noon to 7pm
■ Until Nov. 3
Photo courtesy of VT Artsalon
In the spirit of cultural exchange, Asian Drums (亞洲的鼓聲:臺韓泰三地藝術對話) is a group exhibition organized by three art spaces in Taiwan, South Korea and Thailand. The show refers to artists as drummers or beat-makers that cause a rumble in Asia’s cultural landscape. Curatorial notes caution against superficial summaries of any particular culture, calling instead for more substantial partnerships between countries. Featuring a selection of artists who have been working in Asia for over a decade, the show seeks more grounded explorations of identities, sensibilities and relationships. Participants include Prasert Yodkaew, a Thai artist who creates installations and performances dealing with an ever-changing state of existence, and Lin Kuan-ming (林冠名), a Taipei-based video artist exploring concepts of time and memory.
■ VT Artsalon (非常廟藝文空間), B1, 17, Ln 56, Xinsheng N Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市新生北路三段56巷17號B1); tel: (02) 2597-2525. Open Tuesdays to Fridays, 11:30am to 7pm and Saturdays, 1:30pm to 9pm
■ Until Oct. 12
Photo courtesy of Taoyuan Department of Cultural Affairs
Life Written in Water (似水流年) at Moon Gallery (月臨畫廊) is a solo exhibition by Taichung-based artist Peng Hsien-hsiang (彭賢祥). Peng is a painter and sculptor of Hakka descent whose cultural background deeply resonates with his work. Early in his career, the artist created a series of family portraits during a period of self-reflection. His later works resemble abstract landscapes that are sometimes inspired by memories of his hometown in Miaoli or the surrounding environment of his studio. The paintings on view exude a weighty air of sentimentality and ambiguity. According to the artist, his mission is to create dialogue with the viewer about existence and the complexities of life.
■ Moon Gallery (月臨畫廊), 6, Ln 589, Yingcai Rd, Taichung City (台中市英才路589巷6號); tel: (04) 2371-1219. Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 11am to 6pm (closed every last Sunday of the month)
■ Until Sept. 28
Photo courtesy of Nunu Fine Art
As a collaboration between the National Palace Museum and the Kaohsiung
Museum of Fine Arts, New Horizons (國寶新境) is an exhibition that seeks to present ancient Chinese artifacts using innovative technologies. The show tells the story of the National Palace Museum collection through interactive installations, immersive pavilions and virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality works. Highlights include a classical theater pavilion in which contemporary dancers, composers and calligraphers have worked together to create film interpretations of classic Chinese art pieces. Another is The Spirit of Calligraphy, a VR experience in which figures such as words, dragons and snakes morph into each other. Visitors can also use a virtual brush to practise calligraphy.
■ Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (高雄市立美術館), 80, Meishuguan Rd, Kaohsiung City (高雄市美術館路80號), tel: (07) 555-0331. Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9:30am to 5:30pm
Photo courtesy of VT Artsalon
■ Until Dec. 1
After a successful debut two years ago, the second edition of the Taoyuan International Watercolor Biennial (桃園國際水彩雙年展), titled Flowing Water (活水), opens its doors today at the Taoyuan City Department of Cultural Affairs (桃園市政府文化局). As a platform to invigorate international exchange, the biennial features 102 watercolor works by 18 artists from Taiwan, Hong Kong, the US, the UK, Japan, Moldova, Russia, Australia and New Zealand. A series of craft demonstrations, salons and guided tours will run concurrently. For more details, visit: taoyuanwatercolorbiennial.com.
■ Taoyuan Department of Cultural Affairs (桃園市政府文化局), 21, Xianfu Rd, Taoyuan City (桃園市縣府路21號), tel: (03) 332-2592. Open daily from 8am to 5pm
Photo courtesy of National Palace Museum
■ Until Oct. 6
Photo courtesy of Taoyuan Department of Cultural Affairs
May 6 to May 12 Those who follow the Chinese-language news may have noticed the usage of the term zhuge (豬哥, literally ‘pig brother,’ a male pig raised for breeding purposes) in reports concerning the ongoing #Metoo scandal in the entertainment industry. The term’s modern connotations can range from womanizer or lecher to sexual predator, but it once referred to an important rural trade. Until the 1970s, it was a common sight to see a breeder herding a single “zhuge” down a rustic path with a bamboo whip, often traveling large distances over rugged terrain to service local families. Not only
Ahead of incoming president William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration on May 20 there appear to be signs that he is signaling to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and that the Chinese side is also signaling to the Taiwan side. This raises a lot of questions, including what is the CCP up to, who are they signaling to, what are they signaling, how with the various actors in Taiwan respond and where this could ultimately go. In the last column, published on May 2, we examined the curious case of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) heavyweight Tseng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) — currently vice premier
The last time Mrs Hsieh came to Cihu Park in Taoyuan was almost 50 years ago, on a school trip to the grave of Taiwan’s recently deceased dictator. Busloads of children were brought in to pay their respects to Chiang Kai-shek (蔣中正), known as Generalissimo, who had died at 87, after decades ruling Taiwan under brutal martial law. “There were a lot of buses, and there was a long queue,” Hsieh recalled. “It was a school rule. We had to bow, and then we went home.” Chiang’s body is still there, under guard in a mausoleum at the end of a path
Last week the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) released a set of very strange numbers on Taiwan’s wealth distribution. Duly quoted in the Taipei Times, the report said that “The Gini coefficient for Taiwanese households… was 0.606 at the end of 2021, lower than Australia’s 0.611, the UK’s 0.620, Japan’s 0.678, France’s 0.676 and Germany’s 0.727, the agency said in a report.” The Gini coefficient is a measure of relative inequality, usually of wealth or income, though it can be used to evaluate other forms of inequality. However, for most nations it is a number from .25 to .50