The Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) are joining forces for an “art bank” project to promote Taiwanese artists.
The culture ministry will purchase art from the artists and sell or loan the pieces to companies, government agencies and the public to give the selected artists more exposure, Minister of Transportation and Communications Yeh Kuang-shih (葉匡時) said, adding that the project also aims to improve the environment in public spaces.
The MOTC will provide 13 venues such as airports, train stations and highway rest stops, to display the works, Yeh said.
A total of 855 artists have submitted more than 3,200 works for review. The chosen works will be announced next month and the pieces are to go on display as early as August, the MOTC said.
Minister of Culture Lung Ying-tai (龍應台) said the concept of “art banks” has been promoted in countries such as Australia, Canada and South Korea for years.
“Artists need to be seen by society,” Lung said.
However, the NT$35 million (US$1.16 million) purchasing budget will only allow her ministry to select about 200 pieces, she said.
Lung said the culture ministry hopes to attract investment from the private sector so that more pieces can be purchased.
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