The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMFA) in Taichung is presenting artworks by 39 Taiwanese and Japanese illustrators and comic artist groups at the exhibition, titled "Permeable dimension wall: Taiwan – Japan Comic Aesthetics & Contemporary Art Exhibition," from Sept. 26 to Dec. 6, 2020.
With four main themes: "Classics by Individual Artists," "Strength of Connected Groups," "Reversion of Social Culture," and "The Contour of Future Comics," the artworks in various forms, including animations, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality, seek to address how internet era has shaped the anime/comic culture.
Curated by assistant professor Luo He-lin (羅禾淋) of the Tainan National University of the Arts, the exhibition feature works created by Taiwanese artists Wei Tsung-cheng (韋宗成), Li Lung-chieh (李隆杰), and Japanese illustrators Amano Yoshitaka, Hideyuki Ando, among other creators.
Viewers may also enjoy works by VOFAN, a Taiwanese comic artist who first rose to fame in the self-published artists group "doujin community" and has since enjoyed much publicity in Japan, as well as Ikaridon Yu (咖哩東), Mickeyman (米奇鰻), and Xieduo (血多), three famed artists who capitalize social media and grew their career as comic creators.
Aiming to spark discussions on the future of comics, the exhibition also highlights a number of interdisciplinary collaborations, including video, kinetic installation 《Ambivalence After The Summer of Temple Fair》by digital artists Chen I-chun (陳依純) and comics creators Zuo Hsuan (左萱), and 《Light Motion Machine》by media artist Hu Chin-Hsiang (胡縉祥) and comics artist Barz.
In addition, an APP launched by the exhibition organizer NTMFA, together with the application of Simultaneous Localization and Mapping, offers visitors an interactive experience in designated areas and brought characters from the exhibiting comics works to life.
In line with the exhibition, a series of events are available for those who wish to dive further into the fascinating realm of comics, including voice acting workshop by veteran Taiwanese voice actor Leo Lee (李勇), an animation/comics themed concert, and an seminar featuring VOFAN, Wei Tsung-cheng, Xieduo, and Luo He-lin.