Taiwanese contemporary artist Huang Ben-rei (黃本蕊) examines the relationship between her imagination and contemporary society in Last Night Butterfly Brought Me Dreams. The paintings on display provide a window into Huang’s universe through their central subject, Nini, the artist’s recently deceased rabbit and the inspiration for these 20 paintings.
■ Eslite Xinyi Bookstore (誠品信義店), 5F, 11 Songgao Rd, Taipei City (台北市松高路11號5樓). The gallery is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 11am to 7pm. Tel: (02) 8789-3388 X1588
■ Until Sept. 1
Taiwanese illustrator Red Capsule (紅膠囊) branches out into painting with Mr Red Solo Exhibition (花雨使者─柔軟天才的柔軟紅膠囊個展). Though the medium is different, the artist retains the same dreamlike images — some frightening, others humorous — that are hallmarks of his visual style.
■ Capital Art Center (首都藝術中心), 2F, 343, Renai Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市仁愛路四段343號2樓). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 7pm. Call (02) 2775-5268 for more information
■ Until Aug. 28
Belgian ceramist Antonino Spoto’s work, on display in Containers That Are No More Containing, employs geometrical forms such as cylinders and spheres to create unique and simple bowls and basins fired in hues of vibrant orange and yellow.
■ Yingge Ceramics Museum (鶯歌陶瓷博物館), 200 Wenhua Rd, Yinge Township, Taipei County (北北縣鶯歌鎮文化路200號). Open Tuesdays to Fridays from 9:30am to 5pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30am to 6pm. Tel: (02) 8677-2727
■ Until Aug. 16
Self-Modification (自我的重塑) is a solo exhibit by Tang Jo-hung (黨若洪), the 2008 Liao Chi-chun Oil Painting Award grand prizewinner. The artist culls symbols from disparate media to investigate issues of identity through realistic paintings of his dog, Cookey.
■ Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM), 181, Zhongshan N Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市中山北路三段181號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9:30am to 5:30pm and until 8:30pm on Saturdays. Tel: (02) 2595-7656
■ Until Sept. 27
Writing Words, Writing Forms — Me (寫字．寫相—我) is a solo exhibit by Ho Chia-hsing (何佳興). Ho’s illustrations
merge poetry with drawing as a means of looking at the relationship between sight
and bodily sensations.
■ Shin Leh Yuan Art Space (新樂園藝術空間), 15-2, Ln 11, Zhongshan N Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市中山北路二段11巷15-2號). Open Wednesdays to Sundays from 1pm to 8pm. Tel: (02) 2561-1548
■ Until Aug. 16
Land, Life & Love (大地、生命與愛戀) is a solo exhibit by Taiwanese artist Hwang Buh-ching (黃步青) of his early oil paintings, which are intimately bound up with Taiwan’s natural environment.
■ Jin-Zhi Gallery (金枝藝術), 41-3 Sinfu Village, Yuanli Township, Miaoli County (苗栗縣苑裡鎮新復里41-3號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 1pm to 6pm. For a viewing call (03) 786-4858
■ Until Sept. 20
New York-based artist Joshua Balgos’ video Whatever It Takes explores an individual’s obsession with the perfect body, the ideal job and the relationship that everyone dreams of.
■ Taipei National University of Arts — Kuandu Museum of Arts (台北藝術大學關渡美術館), 1 Xueyuan Rd, Beitou Dist, Taipei City (台北市北投區學園路1號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm. Tel: (02) 2896-1000 X2432
■ Until Sept. 20
April 14 to April 20 In March 1947, Sising Katadrepan urged the government to drop the “high mountain people” (高山族) designation for Indigenous Taiwanese and refer to them as “Taiwan people” (台灣族). He considered the term derogatory, arguing that it made them sound like animals. The Taiwan Provincial Government agreed to stop using the term, stating that Indigenous Taiwanese suffered all sorts of discrimination and oppression under the Japanese and were forced to live in the mountains as outsiders to society. Now, under the new regime, they would be seen as equals, thus they should be henceforth
Last week, the the National Immigration Agency (NIA) told the legislature that more than 10,000 naturalized Taiwanese citizens from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) risked having their citizenship revoked if they failed to provide proof that they had renounced their Chinese household registration within the next three months. Renunciation is required under the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), as amended in 2004, though it was only a legal requirement after 2000. Prior to that, it had been only an administrative requirement since the Nationality Act (國籍法) was established in
With over 80 works on display, this is Louise Bourgeois’ first solo show in Taiwan. Visitors are invited to traverse her world of love and hate, vengeance and acceptance, trauma and reconciliation. Dominating the entrance, the nine-foot-tall Crouching Spider (2003) greets visitors. The creature looms behind the glass facade, symbolic protector and gatekeeper to the intimate journey ahead. Bourgeois, best known for her giant spider sculptures, is one of the most influential artist of the twentieth century. Blending vulnerability and defiance through themes of sexuality, trauma and identity, her work reshaped the landscape of contemporary art with fearless honesty. “People are influenced by
The remains of this Japanese-era trail designed to protect the camphor industry make for a scenic day-hike, a fascinating overnight hike or a challenging multi-day adventure Maolin District (茂林) in Kaohsiung is well known for beautiful roadside scenery, waterfalls, the annual butterfly migration and indigenous culture. A lesser known but worthwhile destination here lies along the very top of the valley: the Liugui Security Path (六龜警備道). This relic of the Japanese era once isolated the Maolin valley from the outside world but now serves to draw tourists in. The path originally ran for about 50km, but not all of this trail is still easily walkable. The nicest section for a simple day hike is the heavily trafficked southern section above Maolin and Wanshan (萬山) villages. Remains of
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