Taiyuan Asian Puppet Theatre Museum in Taipei City has launched an online exhibition titled “Puppet Theatre from Formosa” in partnership with Spain-based Tolosa International Puppet Center (TOPIC) and Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Spain, the Ministry of Culture announced April 22.
Showcasing traditional glove, string and shadow puppets as well as an entire puppet theater, the exhibit was originally set to run March 14 to November 1 at TOPIC in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa but was postponed due to the state of emergency declared March 13 by Spain’s government in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19. The new opening date is yet to be announced.
More than 180 pieces from TAPTM’s collection are to feature in the show, making it one of the most comprehensive Taiwan puppet exhibitions ever held overseas, the MOC said. Now viewers can gain insight into the rich history of the art by appreciating select pieces through TOPIC’s online gallery, which offers detailed descriptions in Chinese, English, French, Spanish and Euskara, the local language of Basque Country, an autonomous community in northern Spain.
TOPIC is a comprehensive puppetry center complete with a museum hosting permanent and visiting collections, a 250-seat theater, a digital archive, a residence for artists and researchers and facilities for holding workshops and video conferences. It opened its doors in 2009 with the goal of bringing the art closer to children and adults alike. (TYT-E)
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