Art and cultural events are key for a city’s cultivation of soft power and international image, and how politicians engage with them often defines their success. Representative to Austria Liu Suan-yung’s (劉玄詠) conducting performance and Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen’s (盧秀燕) show of drumming and the Tainan Jazz Festival demonstrate different outcomes when politics meet culture. While a thoughtful and professional engagement can heighten an event’s status and cultural value, indulging in political theater runs the risk of undermining trust and its reception.
During a National Day reception celebration in Austria on Oct. 8, Liu, who was formerly director of the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra and has a rich background of musical training, took up the mantle of conducting the performing wind orchestra for an arrangement, and was met with applause. Utilizing his own expertise, his participation helped showcase a cultured Taiwan to the world. His success lies in the genuine professionalism behind his actions, rather than political peacocking. He did not seize the event as a platform for a political agenda, but engaged meaningfully through the medium at hand. It was cultural diplomacy done well, showing how the country’s image can be elevated in good faith.
In comparison, Lu’s drumming “performance” is an example of what not to do. Her jumping on the drums without a lick of musical expertise was not only painful to watch, but took away from the musicians’ performance time and muddied the focus of the music festival itself. It reeked of political theater and was rebuked by audiences and music critics — the Taichung Jazz Festival’s image has doubtless been slightly tarnished. As a rule, political appearances like this, done for the sake of exposure and personal gain, always backfire.
Falling on the same weekend, the Tainan Jazz Festival offered an alternative model. With world-class jazz music set alongside a market and pond in the historic Wu Gardens, the festival was a cultural show of real substance and international appeal. Emerging from a combination of public initiative and professional leadership, Tainan has become known as a southern jazz capital, proof that artistic agency is integral to the success of a cultural project.
Liu won applause, while Lu ran up against disdain. The lesson is clear: Cultural events are not showgrounds for politicians, and politics should not be put before the arts. When politicians have no relevant background in the field they should position themselves in roles of support or sponsorship, and assist in organizing resources and promoting culture, rather than taking to the stage.
Yang Chih-chiang is a teacher.
Translated by Gilda Knox Streader
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