Exploring AiR in Taiwan

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Exploring AiR in Taiwan

In December 2018, Heidi Vogels - TransArtists coordinator of AiR Platform NL was invited by Catherine Lee, director of Taipei Arts Village and Taiwan Art Space Alliance to visit several artist-in-residence programs in the country. TASA, a platform mapping AiR and other art programs in Taiwan and the region, provided a four day intens program of meetings with AiR program organizers in the cities of Taipei, Koaksiung and Tainan. There are many AiR programs in Taiwan welcoming both local and international artists, of which only a first glimpse is documented here. Through mutual exchange programs with art institutions in Asia and Europe (amongst others), they form a dynamic art scene of exchange, production and presentation.


Koaksiung


Pier-2 Art Center is an AiR program connected to a large premisis in the harbour of the city facilitating exhibitions, arts and design studio's and arts and culture festivals. In fact this part of the harbour was disclosed thanks to a local artist initiative taking hold of the abandoned warehouses that date back to Japanese colonial times. Artists are welcomed by the Pier-2 Art Center team with their own studio, production budget, and assistance in organizing a public event at the closure of their stay. Image: Wu Mei Hsi and Rachel Huang - AiR team
 


Jianjyung Headquarters is located in a former school building, providing studio spaces for artists, designers, musicians, theater groups. It is also home to the Fishsnipers Collective - a constellation of activists and visual artists connected by the topic of the sea and local waters. Jianjyung aims to develop an international AiR program in the near future, and in the mean time welcomes anyone interested to drop by.


Tainan

Soulangh Cultural Park is a 40 min drive from Tainan station. Within the local setting of an old railway landscape, the former Jiali Sugar Factory is transformed into a cultural park including exhibitions spaces, open air theater, cinema and artist studio's. Artists close their three month stay with an exhibition in one of the former (huge) warehouses, a rare opportunity in exhibition making. Image: Ann Liu, AiR coordinator, and Heidi Vogels, TransArtists


Taipei

 

Taipei Artist Village is located in the center of the city, close to Taipei main train station. Its premises holds 12 artists studio's, a dance studio, piano room and darkroom, a gallery space, cafe and garden. Taipei Artist village is the sister of Treasure Hill Artist Village as both are part of Taipei Culture Foundation.
 

KdMofa - The Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts is located within the campus of the National Taipei University of Arts (TUNA). It is the first fine arts museum in Taiwan that is affiliated with an university. KdMofa welcomes both national and international artists in its program. Image: curator Sisy Wang, AiR coordinator Chia Huan, and Eva Chen and Nicole Wang (TASA)
 

 

Treasure Hill Artist Village stems from an illigal settlement on the river bank that gradually developed over the last 50 years after an ecological model. Treasure Hill was restored in 2010, giving home to 22 families who were part of the original settlement. Today the area is renown for keeping alive the memory of the industrial city of Taipei, for urban farming and urban accupuncture. THAV accomodates 14 studios for local and international artists, workshops and exhibition spaces. Image: Catherine Lee, director Treasure Hill Artist Village
 

Bamboo Curtain Studio is situated along the Tamsui riverbank and is a 30 minutes commute to downtown Taipei. The studio's, ceramic and sculpture workshop and garden facilitate local and international artists. The program focus is on ecology and sustainability through arts and culture, and instigates local research, projects and educational programs.


Lightbox is not an AiR program, yet a space for encounter and research set within an ever growing archive of books and publications on photography. Lightbox was initiated by photographer and artist Liang-Pin Tsao because of a lack of photographic records, research, discussion and learning concerning photography in Taiwan. When in Taipei, don't miss the opportunity of a visit. Image left: Liang-Pin Tsao


Bonus*

Bamboo curtain' team and artists make their own detergent by fermenting citrus peel. Try this at home! Recepe is shared below.

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