Now that the weather is starting to clear up, staying indoors feels too confining. The Wenzhou Street Arts Festival II is located in various venues on or near Wenzhou Street and is a perfect springtime event to get you out of the house without costing a cent.
The festival allows you to explore local contemporary art while taking a stroll through the small lanes across from the National Taiwan University campus between the various cafes and bookstores where works are on display until March 12.
PHOTOS: SUSAN KENDZULAK
The first Wenzhou Street art festival was held in 2001 and was much smaller. This time, the organizers gathered 25 young artists -- mainly art students -- to exhibit in spaces that are alternatives to museums and galleries.
Unfortunately, the brochure and map (available in the participating locales) are only in Chinese, making the exhibition a bit of a daunting Easter-egg hunt for non-Chinese readers. The following will help guide you through this labyrinth of chic coffeeshops and dense bookstores.
The Rumiya Cafe (
One of the best works in the festival is James Lin's (
PHOTOS: SUSAN KENDZULAK
Cafe B & C (
In many of the cafes, the art seems like quiet decorative backdrops to the food being served. Giuliano (
At Cafe Chat Chat (聊聊咖啡), Chen Kuan-yu (陳冠宇) shows a video of people in slow motion. Chang Aji (張博智) has a small blinking light sculpture on the floor and Sakami Hane Jiro (瀨上羽二郎) has a framed photo with eyes that move.
At Ren Xing Kong Jian (
There are two installations at the Norwegian Wood Cafe (
Textile art can be found at the Cuckoo Cafe (
More literary-minded work is at Fem Books (
Huang Wen-lin (
A lot of the art on view is still in the incubation period of development. The festival is perfect for a date, letting you stroll hand-in-hand while stopping for coffee.
What: Wenzhou Street Arts Festival II
WHere: On and near Wenzhou Street, off Roosevelt Road and Xinsheng South Road
When: Until March 12
ON THE WEB: http://203.64.5.174/MindMap2005/
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