Art Taipei 2010 starts on Aug. 20, and if the number of exhibitors is anything to go by, it is set to be a big event. Now in its 17th year, the art fair is one of Asia’s largest and provides a unique platform to view the latest in contemporary art from across the world, with an emphasis on Southeast Asia. This year, 111 exhibitors — 33 more than last year — from Europe, North America and Asia will display paintings, sculptures, video, photography and installations at the Taipei World Trade Center. The fair is complemented by a series of lectures by some of the world’s most renowned art experts as well as special exhibitions such as Made in Taiwan, which presents the works of younger artists, and Affordable Art Project, an ideal venue for the first-time art investor. This year also sees the addition of Art Taipei Photo, which focuses on contemporary, conceptual and fashion photography.
■ Taipei World Trade Center (台北世貿中心), Area A and Area D. Opening hours are 11am to 7pm from Aug. 20 to Aug. 23 and 11am to 6pm on Aug. 24. General admission is NT$200
■ Begins Aug. 20. Comprehensive details of the event in English and Chinese can be found at www.art-taipei.com
Southern Oscillation (南方震盪) brings together seven contemporary artists from Taiwan and China working in sculpture, oil painting and ink painting, covering different styles such as abstraction, realism and traditional Chinese landscape painting.
■ La Chambre Art Gallery (小室藝廊), 31, Ln 52, Siwei Rd, Taipei City (台北市四維路52巷31號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from noon to 9pm. Tel: (02) 2700-3689
■ Until Sept. 5
A skinny old man riding a dragon named Mercedes Benz serves as the central protagonist in Hua Chien-chiang’s (華建強) series of dreamy gouache paintings Reality in Wonderland (人奸仙淨). Though you might suspect Hua has been puffing on some top-quality bud, his canvases — rendered in a cartoonish style — of humans floating on clouds through different cities are actually allegories of daily life.
■ Aki Gallery (也趣), 141 Minzu W Rd, Taipei City
(台北市民族西路141號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from noon to 6:30pm. Tel: (02) 2599-1171
■ Until Aug. 29
Japanese artist and illustrator Yoshitaka Amano returns to Taiwan with a solo exhibit of 60 drawings and paintings produced between 1985 and 2001.
■ Hong-Gah Museum (鳳甲美術館), 5F, 260, Daye Rd, Taipei City (台北市大業路260號5樓). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10:30am to 5:30pm. Tel: (02) 2894-2272. Admission: NT$100
■ Until Sept. 19
Landscape to Mindscape of Floating World: Contemporary Art From Taiwan (浮世山水—台灣藝術心貌) presents works by Lee Ming-tse (李明則), Pan Xin-hua (潘信華), Yao Jui-chung (姚瑞中) and Hua Chien-chiang (華建強). The show examines how Taiwanese artists reflect on their cultural identity by reinterpreting key themes in art history, such as humanity, nature, life and society, and the internal and external conditions that affect the nation’s psyche.
■ National Taiwan Museum of the Arts (國立台灣美術館), B1 Gallery, 2, Wucyuan W Rd Sec 1, Taichung City (台中市五權西路一段2號). Open Tuesdays to Fridays from 9am to 5pm and
Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 6pm.
Tel: (04) 2372-3552
■ Until Sept. 19
Chinese contemporary oil painter Zhong Jianqiu (鍾劍秋) depicts Taiwan’s landscapes and seascapes in Vitality — Depiction of Taiwan (遇見陽光 雕爍台灣).
■ 5000 Years Fine Art Gallery (五千年藝術空間), 295 Cingnian 1st Rd, Kaohsiung City (高雄市青年一路295號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10:30am to 9pm. Tel: (07) 334-6848
■ Until Aug. 31
Fun Year Art Gallery (凡亞藝術空間) is currently holding a retrospective exhibit to celebrate the 80th birthday of celebrated painter Chen Yin-huei (陳銀輝). The exhibit surveys Chen’s entire career, from representational works based on direct observation to more conceptual works following the modernist experiments of surrealism, expressionism and fauvism.
■ Fun Year Art Gallery (凡亞藝術空間), B1, 16, Ln 301, Henan Rd Sec 2, Taichung City (台中市河南路二段301巷16號B1). Open Tuesdays to Fridays from 2pm to 6pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30am to 6pm. Tel: (04) 2703-2424
■ Until Aug. 29
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