Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (
According to reports, the foundation has said it will abandon the plan because of political interference in the arts.
Building a Guggenheim branch was one of Hu's major platforms when he ran for Taichung mayor, but the city government and the Guggenheim Foundation have been unable to sign an agreement because of financing problems.
The central government finally agreed on Aug. 31 to earmark NT$2 billion (US$58,99 million) in the 2005 budget to help finance the project, but by that time the foundation had already decided to quit the plan, reports said.
Hu said he will "probably" go to New York in the next few days to talk directly with foundation officials.
Cabinet spokesman Chen Chi-mai (
"President Chen Shui-bian (
The Cabinet has also directed the Council for Cultural Affairs to send a letter to the Guggenheim Foundation to express its warm support of the foundation's plan to build a branch in Taichung in cooperation with the city government, Chen Chi-mai said.
Hu said that he has received little news recently from the Guggenheim Foundation.
"It is difficult to say whether the foundation will come or not," Hu said, adding that he will do his best to salvage the plan and keep communicating with the foundation in the hope that the project will continue.
"It is possible that the foundation has lost patience after waiting for 10 months without being able to sign a contract with Taichung," Hu said. "At present, we have no further news from the foundation, but this does not mean that the project has fallen through."
Chen Chi-mai said that even if the Taichung City Government fails to come to terms with the Guggenheim Foundation, the government will not waver in its support for Taichung to build an international-class national museum. If Taichung fails to obtain the Guggenheim Foundation's approval to build a branch in the city, Chen said the Cabinet would ask the city government to come up with an alternative project.
Quoting a Council for Economic Planning and Development evaluation, Chen Chi-mai said the Guggenheim Museum's design, construction and maintenance costs far exceed average international levels.
According to the council's assessment, the Taichung city coffers could incur losses of NT$200 million to NT$400 million annually if the Guggenheim Museum's first Asian branch truly settles in Taichung. Against this backdrop, Chen Chi-mai said, the Cabinet hopes the city government can obtain the city council's long-term support for the project.
"The city government should coordinate with the city council regarding land rezoning and the budget, so that the project can proceed smoothly without any hitch or interruption," Chen Chi-mai said. "Otherwise, our national image could be at stake."
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