Kuo Wei-kuo (郭維國) is one of a handful of contemporary Taiwanese artists who have been willing to reveal their darkest secrets in art — a theme that he continues in his solo exhibition at Lin & Lin Gallery (大未來林舍畫廊). Kuo’s fantastical self-portraits resemble halls of mirrors that reflect the artist’s psychologically complex world. They narrate the life of a middle-aged man who embellishes his fears and aspirations with mythological motifs. The paintings often feature the artist — sometimes nude, other times partially clothed — wandering through a desolate landscape surrounded by tempestuous storms that are created using a somber palette of browns, grays and purples.
■ Lin & Lin Gallery (大未來林舍畫廊), 13, Ln 252, Dunhua S Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市敦化南路一段252巷13號). For a viewing, call (02) 2721-8488
■ Begins Saturday, until Nov. 1
The National Museum of History is holding a retrospective exhibition of gifted musician, poet and calligrapher Lu Fo-ting’s (呂佛庭) work. The show, displayed on the museum’s fourth floor, consists of scrolls of Lu’s calligraphy, which expresses his deep reverence for and understanding of Zen Buddhism. Lu’s landscape paintings, inspired by ancient Chinese ideograms, are also on display.
■ National Museum of History (國立歷史博物館), 49 Nanhai Rd, Taipei City (台北市南海路49號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 6pm. Tel: (02) 2361-0270. Admission: NT$30
■ Ongoing
Crystal City (水晶城市) is a series of installations by Taiwanese artist and Taipei Art Award-winner Wu Chi-tsung (吳季璁). Using a projector, LED lighting and plastic, Wu creates an urban environment of geometrical transparency that questions the viewer’s place in
the city.
■ IT Park Gallery (伊通公園), 2F-3F, 41 Yitong St, Taipei City (台北市伊通街41號2-3樓). Open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 1pm to 10pm.
Tel: (02) 2507-7243
■ Until Oct. 31
In The Color — Ink Paintings of Pan Hsin-hua (彩墨—潘信華個展), the Taiwanese artist creates a surrealistic world using a style that is rooted in Chinese traditional ink painting. Pan juxtaposes past and present in his paintings, which examine the relevance of tradition in contemporary culture. His irreverent visual language incorporates unconventional pictorial elements that are often of an explicitly contemporary and playful nature.
■ VT Art Salon (非常廟藝文空間), B1, 47 Yitong St, Taipei City (台北市伊通街47號地B1). Open Tuesday to Thursday 2pm to 11pm, Friday and Saturday from 2pm to 1am
■ Until Oct. 31
Those who are enamored with Taiwan’s raucous party politics could do no worse than check out You Are a Horse That I Would Never Ride (你是匹我永不想騎的馬), a project by Taiwanese artist Jao Chia-en (饒加恩), who just completed a residency at Taipei Artist Village. The exhibit investigates the experience of being “infected by local political fever.” Jao will give a two-hour workshop on Sunday beginning at 10am titled Fever District. Participants are invited to create their own coat of arms based on their personality. To register for the workshop, call (02) 3393-7377 X220.
■ Barry Room, Taipei Artist Village (台北國際藝術村百里廳), 7 Beiping E Rd, Taipei City (台北市北平東路7號). Open Tuesdays to Fridays from 10am to 6pm. Tel: (02) 3393-7377
■ Begins Saturday, until Oct. 25
In his solo exhibition at Main Trend Gallery, Taiwanese painter Lee Ming-tse (李明則) employs multiple viewpoints to depict village life and religious practices. “I paint where I live, things that happened before and things that are happening now,” he says. His sources of inspiration include temple festivals, local theaters, newspaper stands and traditional markets.
■ Main Trend Gallery (大趨勢畫廊), 209-1, Chengde Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市承德路三段209-1號). Open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11am to 7pm. Tel: (02) 2587-3412
■ Begins Saturday, until Nov. 7
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When Lisa, 20, laces into her ultra-high heels for her shift at a strip club in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, she knows that aside from dancing, she will have to comfort traumatized soldiers. Since Russia’s 2022 invasion, exhausted troops are the main clientele of the Flash Dancers club in the center of the northeastern city, just 20 kilometers from Russian forces. For some customers, it provides an “escape” from the war, said Valerya Zavatska — a 25-year-old law graduate who runs the club with her mother, an ex-dancer. But many are not there just for the show. They “want to talk about what hurts,” she
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