Not far from the Xindian River that marks the southern edge of Taipei City is Treasure Hill Artist Village, a collection of hillside dwellings that since 2010 has hosted both renowned and new artists from Taiwan and around the world through an artist in residence program. The community was originally based around underground air-raid shelters. In the early 2000s, the city government turned the site into an arts area, renovating the buildings and rehousing most residents. Artists were invited to live with remaining locals to undertake creative projects based on their stories, which evolved into the current program. The initiative now supports five artists every three months, who create projects on-site while visitors chat with them and take guided tours of their work. Some host hands-on workshops, for example James Thompson showed visitors how to use clay to take architectural impressions from locations across Treasure Hill during a residency in late summer 2024. Perched at the intersection of Taipei’s recent history and vibrant contemporary artwork, Treasure Hill presents an ever changing array of visual projects to enjoy.
—by Alan Kwan
The hill overlooks the Xindian River.
Children join a hands-on workshop.
All types of textures inspire artists.
Thompson lays out his work in an air-raid shelter converted for artists’ use.
An artist introduces the village.
Pink signs indicate that a building has local residents.
Visitors can wander freely around the village.
The exhibition spaces are versatile.
The work by artists in residence lives on even after their tenure ends.