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
In late October of 1873 the government of Japan decided against sending a military expedition to Korea to force that nation to open trade relations. Across the government supporters of the expedition resigned immediately. The spectacle of revolt by disaffected samurai began to loom over Japanese politics. In January of 1874 disaffected samurai attacked a senior minister in Tokyo. A month later, a group of pro-Korea expedition and anti-foreign elements from Saga prefecture in Kyushu revolted, driven in part by high food prices stemming from poor harvests. Their leader, according to Edward Drea’s classic Japan’s Imperial Army, was a samurai
The following three paragraphs are just some of what the local Chinese-language press is reporting on breathlessly and following every twist and turn with the eagerness of a soap opera fan. For many English-language readers, it probably comes across as incomprehensibly opaque, so bear with me briefly dear reader: To the surprise of many, former pop singer and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ex-lawmaker Yu Tien (余天) of the Taiwan Normal Country Promotion Association (TNCPA) at the last minute dropped out of the running for committee chair of the DPP’s New Taipei City chapter, paving the way for DPP legislator Su
Located down a sideroad in old Wanhua District (萬華區), Waley Art (水谷藝術) has an established reputation for curating some of the more provocative indie art exhibitions in Taipei. And this month is no exception. Beyond the innocuous facade of a shophouse, the full three stories of the gallery space (including the basement) have been taken over by photographs, installation videos and abstract images courtesy of two creatives who hail from the opposite ends of the earth, Taiwan’s Hsu Yi-ting (許懿婷) and Germany’s Benjamin Janzen. “In 2019, I had an art residency in Europe,” Hsu says. “I met Benjamin in the lobby
April 22 to April 28 The true identity of the mastermind behind the Demon Gang (魔鬼黨) was undoubtedly on the minds of countless schoolchildren in late 1958. In the days leading up to the big reveal, more than 10,000 guesses were sent to Ta Hwa Publishing Co (大華文化社) for a chance to win prizes. The smash success of the comic series Great Battle Against the Demon Gang (大戰魔鬼黨) came as a surprise to author Yeh Hung-chia (葉宏甲), who had long given up on his dream after being jailed for 10 months in 1947 over political cartoons. Protagonist