Creative Expo Taiwan kicked off April 24 in Taipei City, drawing a record 570 exhibitors from 25 countries and territories to showcase the latest cultural and design trends.
Organized by the Ministry of Culture, the 12-day fair is spotlighting Taiwan crafts, design concepts, history, lifestyles and performing arts at five venues: Huashan 1914 Creative Park, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, Taipei Expo Park, Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab and Taipei Railway Workshop.
According to MOC Minister Cheng Li-chiun, as a free and democratic nation and melting pot of various ethnic groups, Taiwan boasts a deep creative talent pool.
In line with this year’s theme Culture on the Move, the event aims to highlight the full breath of Taiwan’s design and performing arts landscape from the classical to the contemporary, while providing insights into the country’s inclusive society, Cheng said.
Titled Stage on Move, the main pavilion at Huashan is hosting an eclectic mix of traditional and modern performances by such artists as glove puppeteer Chen Hsi-huang, indigenous singer-songwriter Illid Kaolo and rapper Dwagie. Participants' creative processes are also being spotlighted through documentary screenings, talks and workshops.
The 7-hectare creative park also features pavilions on the cultural scenes of four regions: the northern city of Taoyuan, the southeastern county of Taitung, and Tainan City and Pingtung County in southern Taiwan. Special edition magazines on the development, crafts and tourism sectors of these areas are on offer at the event.
Highlights at the other venues include an image licensing fair, forums on topics spanning climate change, digital media and photography, and “Hi, Story,” an arts and history exhibition displaying items from the collections of five national museums.
Launched in 2010, the annual CET plays a key role in the strategic promotion of the cultural and creative industry by the MOC. The sector was first included in the national development plan in 2002 and further prioritized following promulgation of the Law for the Development of the Cultural and Creative Industries in 2010. (CPY-E)
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