The Ministry of Culture yesterday opened the headquarters of an “art bank” in Greater Taichung that is part of its bid to help Taiwanese artists gain exposure.
The headquarters will exhibit artwork from artists purchased by the ministry that can be rented and displayed by government agencies, companies and institutions, the ministry said.
The ministry launched the first phase of the project last year, when it bought 346 pieces of art and loaned them out in a bid to raise artists’ profile.
The art bank is also aimed at exposing children to local art, instead of the usual Picasso or Monet replicas, Minister of Culture Lung Ying-tai (龍應台) said at the launch.
With an annual budget of NT$70 million (US$2.33 million) at its disposal, the project also seeks to introduce Taiwanese artists to foreign audiences by exhibiting their work in overseas government offices and corporate headquarters, the ministry said.
Each piece can be leased for between three months and a year for a fee equal to 0.4 percent of the price the ministry paid for it.
The project has seen art exhibited at major international airports, the Presidential Office Building and the Executive Yuan. The ministry said that 80 percent of its collection has been leased.
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