The government is aiming to build Taiwan’s ties with South and West Asia through mutually beneficial cultural exchanges.
The sweeping views of the Himalayan foothills and rich culture of Kathmandu, Nepal, have inspired visitors to South Asia for centuries. Chu Feng-yi (朱峯誼)—an independent curator with experience working as a researcher at Taipei City-based Academia Sinica’s Institute of Sociology—is no exception, having fallen in love with the city during his first ever artist-in-residence program undertaken at NexUs Culture Nepal (NCN) in August 2019.
Nepalese artist Jupiter Pradhan’s mixed-media installation work My Memories created during his 2018 residency at Taipei City-based Waley Art (Courtesy of Waley Art)
Chu had less chance than he would have liked for sightseeing, however, as he undertook a packed schedule of exhibitions, field studies, interviews and lectures during his monthlong stay in Kathmandu. Conducting research focusing on religions, occultism and mythology, Chu enjoyed ample material to work with in a city famous for its spiritual heritage. “I was honored to visit Nepal and gain a deeper understanding of the local arts, culture and religion,” Chu said. “Besides Hinduism and Buddhism, the nation is also a hub for folk religions such as Kumari and Shamanism, which interest me a lot.”
Look West
Chu’s trip to Nepal was made possible thanks to financial support from the Ministry of Culture (MOC) and Taipei City-based Waley Art, which hosts artist-in-residence programs, community development activities and exhibitions. In 2017, the MOC launched a grant-funding initiative to facilitate cultural exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and South and West Asia.
Kuei Yeh-chin (桂業勤), director-general of the MOC’s Department of Cultural Exchange, said that while Taiwan has maintained close economic and trade ties with the countries of South and West Asia, including India and Israel, for many years it placed less emphasis on promotion of regular cultural exchanges in these regions. Times are changing, however.
“The government recognizes the role such exchanges play in promoting mutual understanding and friendship between nations,” Kuei said. “On an individual level, it broadens perspectives and helps people learn about a new culture; on the government level, it creates diplomatic space.”
Waley Art was among the 27 groups that responded to the MOC’s call to establish closer relationships with South and West Asian countries, obtaining funding for exchange projects that ran for four consecutive years from 2017. Through its planning and collaboration with Nepal-based arts centers Gallery Mcube and NCN, a total of 15 artists and researchers from the two sides have taken part in a variety of exchanges.
Dancers from Tjimur and Kaishiki conduct a workshop to better understand each other’s dance styles, cultures and traditions. (Courtesy of Tjimur Dance Theatre)
According to Peng Tsai-hsuan (彭才瑄), director of Waley Art, the group opted to develop cultural contacts with Nepal because it is one of the countries targeted under the New Southbound Policy (NSP). On this basis, a four-year bilateral exchange program titled “Solastalgia” was created.
A key plank in the government’s national development strategy, the NSP seeks to deepen Taiwan’s agricultural, business, cultural, education, tourism and trade ties with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand.
“Participating artists and researchers examined issues ranging from gender equality, migrant workers and post-disaster reconstruction to socially vulnerable populations and religious traditions,” Peng said. “Be it through art, field surveys, lectures or workshops, these projects all helped to foster cultural awareness and build links between Taiwan and Nepal.”
India Friendship
Based in Sandimen Township of southern Taiwan’s Pingtung County, Tjimur Dance Theatre is another organization to have benefited from the MOC initiative after its proposed project to forge cultural ties with India was financed from 2018 to 2020. Founded in 2006, the indigenous troupe is the first professional dance company to focus exclusively on Paiwan culture.
According to Ljuzem Madiljin, founder and artistic director of Tjimur, over the last few years her troupe’s shows have featured at international events including Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the U.K. and Festival Off d’Avignon in France, as well as several others in Belgium, Canada, Italy, Mexico and South Korea. “We’ve performed in many countries, but normally we’re on a tight schedule, making it difficult to find time to interact with local communities and organizations,” she said.
By contrast, Tjimur’s MOC-funded program undertaken with Kaishiki Nrityabhasha, an Odissi classical dance institute established in Mumbai in 1992, provided the opportunity for two-way exchanges as well as coproductions. “It’s the first time that we’ve had sustained, substantial interactions with a peer group,” Madiljin said. “We worked and lived together, sharing our ideas and techniques and learning from one another.”
During a pair of two-week visits in 2018 and 2019, members of the two troupes conducted demonstrations, field research and workshops to better understand each other’s dance styles, as well as cultures, traditions and way of life. Planned 2020 performance tours in both countries were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We were surprised to find out just how similar our aspirations, beliefs and values really are,” Madiljin said. “For instance, we’re both committed to putting a contemporary spin on traditional culture, as well as cultivating the next generation of talent.”
Tjimur’s self-proclaimed mission is to preserve and pass down tribal traditions while creating job opportunities in the arts sector and providing related professional training. To that end, Madijin believes the MOC’s promotion of arts-related international exchange programs is a real boost that can foster personal and professional development as well as sustainable business growth in Taiwan and abroad. “I learned firsthand what can be gained both professionally and personally from such initiatives,” she said.
Broader Vision
The benefits of the MOC’s farsighted policymaking are also clear to Taipei City-based Association of the Visual Arts in Taiwan (AVAT), which used ministry sponsorship to greatly expand its cultural outreach and exchange programs. Commencing operations in 1999, the association serves artists, curators and arts organizations, as well as art critics, educators and researchers, by providing consultations and resources conducive to their professional development.
According to AVAT Chairwoman Su Yao-hua (蘇瑤華), mainstream discussions on contemporary art in Asia usually revolve around the east and southeast parts of the continent. Consequently, there is a lack of awareness regarding art history and developments in South and West Asia.
Installations by Turkish artists are featured in an annual exhibition hosted by AVAT in Taipei. (Courtesy of Association of the Visual Arts in Taiwan)
“For most of our existence we’ve pursued cultural partnerships in markets that we’re more familiar with. But it’s essential to the future development of AVAT that we look at the whole of Asia to gain a better understanding of the art environment,” Su said. “The MOC grants have allowed us to venture into new countries and territories in order to build connections and develop long-term working relationships.”
With financial assistance from the ministry, AVAT invited several operators of independent art spaces including community arts centers, galleries and studios from Bangladesh, India, Iran, Nepal and Turkey to visit Taiwan in 2018 and 2019. They attended a range of activities planned by the association encompassing exhibitions, forums and visited artist villages, studios and other art spaces.
“We shared operational strategies as well as observations about the current development of contemporary art in our respective countries,” Su said. “Intercultural dialogue is the key to developing true friendships, and it sows the seeds of future collaboration.” Increased exchanges with individuals and institutions from West and South Asia will hopefully have a positive impact on local communities by bringing in different artistic styles and new perspectives, she added.
The many benefits of engaging in international interactions are already being felt by arts and cultural groups like AVAT, Tjimur and Waley Art. “It’s more important than ever that we strive to build a kinder, more inclusive and tolerant world, one in which diversity is respected and equality for all is guaranteed,” the MOC’s Kuei said. “Ensuring people in Taiwan are familiar with these rich and varied cultures will help avoid negative stereotypes and nurture an open-minded, outward-looking society.”
Write to Kelly Her at kher@mofa.gov.tw