“The participation of 38 new overseas galleries this year is a testament to Taiwan’s growing stature in the global art community,” President Ma Ying-jeou said Oct. 29 at a promotional event. “While building a robust environment for art development, the government is also working tirelessly to boost the profiles of local galleries abroad.”
Organized by the Taiwan Art Gallery Association and Taiwan External Trade Development Council, the Ministry of Culture-backed exhibition features 3,000-plus creations by 345 artists from 168 galleries in Taiwan and 20 other countries and territories.
The event enables visitors to get up close and personal with contemporary works by such artists as Taiwan’s Chen Ching-jung, Tobias Rehberger from Germany, Yayoi Kusama and Yoshitomo Nara of Japan and Tony Cragg of the U.K.
Also on display are masterpieces by late Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali, Russian-French artist Marc Chagall and mainland Chinese painter Lin Fengmian.
One highlight is “Improvise in the Park,” a large mosaic piece by Chen. The artist used colorful marble stones and stained glass he collected from around the world to create a vivid depiction of a string trio.
Another eye-catching work is “The World Before the Invention of the Soup Plate” by Rehberger, winner of the Golden Lion for Best Artist at the 2009 Venice Biennial. The installation comprises an entire room covered with hand-painted tiles, creating a captivating optical effect.
Equally noteworthy are the works by eight local artists, including Huang Po-hsun, Lin Yu-chung and Tseng Chien-ying, who were selected by the MOC from a strong field of 101 as representative of the abundant young talent in Taiwan’s art sector.
“Emerging artists in Southeast Asia like Muhlis Lugis from Indonesia and Gary-Ross Pastrana of the Philippines also deserve attention,” TAGA chairperson Rick Wang said. “Their unique characteristics augur well for the development of the art industry throughout the region.”
Launched in 1992, the exhibition attracts significant numbers of art collectors and professionals from around the world every year, and has become the longest-standing art fair in Asia. It also serves as a platform for promoting and trading art, successfully fostering artistic and commercial exchanges in the sector. (YCH-CM)
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