The dream of art on the move is now a reality with the recent revamping of rundown railway warehouses across the island into spaces for artistic workshops and expositions.
In the summer of 1997, the Council for Cultural Affairs launched a project to investigate abandoned spaces and historical buildings throughout the nation. During the investigation, experts from Tunghai University's Department of Architecture found that a large number of disused railway warehouses were still structurally sound despite having been neglected.
PHOTO: JEWEL HUANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Constructed mainly in the Japanese colonial period, the old railway warehouses used to be bustling and flourishing goods-distributing centers and locomotive shelters in the heyday of the railway age half a century ago.
With the rise of highways and air travel, however, the railways gradually lost their predominance in transporting goods and passengers. Over time the warehouses fell into disrepair and were soon forgotten.
But thanks to their spacious rooms and high ceilings, experts found the railway warehouses to be the ideal places to be remodeled into the art studios and exhibition spaces for artists to display or create their arts works.
With the efforts of the local governments and artists, together with the help of the Taiwan Railway Administration, the Council for Cultural Affairs successfully transformed five derelict railway warehouses located near railway stations in Hsinchu, Taichung, Chiayi, Fangliao and Taitung into art workshops.
"The abandoned warehouses with their history and unique architecture support the interpretation of the splendid railway age of the time," said Dennis Tseng (曾能汀), commissioner of the Division of the Council for Cultural Affairs in Central Taiwan. "The reuse of the disused spaces is an embodiment of preserving the old warehouses."
"We hope it will lead a new wave of art renaissance by train travel," said Tseng. "And hopefully it will extends the life of the Taiwan Railway Administration which will be soon replaced by the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp."
More railroad storehouses and other large-sizes spaces such as old barns or obsolete industrial sites will join the project, Tseng said.
The first stop of the renovated railway warehouses is the Art Site of Hsinchu Railway Warehouse that is to be finished at the end of the month.
Because of Hsinchu's abundant natural gas, silicon and wind resources, the making of glass artifacts has been an important industry in the city for decades, Hsinchu Mayor Lin Jung-tzer (林政則) said.
Lin said that Hsinchu Railway Warehouse, constructed in 1887, had been turned into a number of artistic studios for glass craftsmen and an exposition space for installation arts or individual exhibitions to help the development of glass arts.
Hsiao Chia-tzu (蕭家賜), the architect who redeveloped the railway warehouse, told the Taipei Times that the renovated storehouse preserved its original appearance but that the revamp had improved ambient light and removed unnecessary compartments. "Now it is a unique art site better than any new construction," he said.
Council for Cultural Affairs Chairwoman Tchen Yu-chiou (
"We hope to deliver art and culture to everyone's doorstep and make art more accessible and friendly to Taiwanese people," Tchen said. "We hope the opening of the renewed railway warehouses can provide the artists with more opportunities to exchange their experiences with each other and enable the public to have a novel experience when visiting the art sites."
As the first renovated railway warehouse, Stock 20 offered a successful example for other railway warehouses to follow.
Stock 20, occupying over 500 ping and designed as a multifunctional artistic space, includes an art studios for 15 artists, a mini-theater, a gallery, a cafe and an observation tower. It has accommodated over 40 artists in the past three years.
Almost every resident artist of the railway warehouses said they experienced a great change in their work after working in the art studios.
"The spacious studio liberated us from the limits that we had encountered when working in our small apartment," said couple Chen Ying-chieh (陳映潔) and Darryl Bisson, both artists. Chen focused on painting and Bisson focused on the creation of installation art.
"The space is so good. Before, our studio was really isolated. In Stock 20's studio, we can see other resident artists and interact with the visitors who stop by," Bisson said.
The Cultural Affairs Bureau of Chiayi City was responsible for the planning of the Art Site of Chiayi Railway Warehouse. With the help of the local community, it has become the local art site with the best facilities and environment.
"The idea is super, "said Lee Ching-chuan (
"The railway warehouse is just like an alternative enclave for artists," said Lee, who paints large-size oil paintings. "I found myself starting to think about my relation with the space and taking my audiences into consideration when working," Lee said.
F3 Artistic District is an art village founded by the local artists before the government's participation.
Adjacent to the Fangliao Railway Station, the last station of the western railway line, F3 Artistic District has housed over 20 artists who are specialized in stone sculpture, wood sculpture, paper sculpture, woodblock and puppet theatre. The artists are proud of their art village and hope more diverse artistic groups will move into the village.
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