The Yokohama Triennale in Japan, which is slated for July 17 to Oct. 11, will be showcasing the works of three Taiwanese interdisciplinary artists — Zhang Xu-zhan (張徐展), Joyce Ho (何采柔), and Aluaiy Pulidan (武玉玲). Once again, the National Culture and Arts Foundation (NCAF) and the Taiwan Cultural Center in Tokyo will be joint sponsors to support the three artists who will be promoting Taiwan through culture on the world stage.
The Yokohama Triennale is a leading international contemporary art exhibition held in Yokohama once every three years to present the latest trends and expressions and to promote both world-renowned and budding artists. Since its inauguration in 2001, the triennale's mission is to cultivate a spiritually rich society that embraces diversity while spearheading the development of arts and culture in Yokohama.
The theme of this year is "Afterglow" to use the concept of a luminous aftermath as a metaphor for discussing the development of decentralized, pluralistic art and enticing audience members to place aside established stereotypes and explore their surroundings.
Launched and promoted by NCAF, the ARTWAVE-Taiwan International Arts Network is a global platform for exchanges through art and literature between Taiwan and the world. In 2019, ARTWAVE hosted "Curators' Intensive Taipei 19: International Conference and Workshops," inviting many international curators to Taipei.
Among them were the Delhi-based trio Raqs Media Collective, now the curatorial team of this year's Yokohama Triennale, and members even extended their stay in Taiwan for urban research. The collective comprising Jeebesh Bagchi, Monica Narula, and Shuddhabrata Sengupta aims to reach beyond art's usual boundaries, develop media projects with local communities, and curate international exhibitions.
Contemporary artist Zhang specializes in incorporating hand-made puppets, drawings, and dioramas to create stop-motion animations and installations. He uses paper as materials to produce works depicting the activities of bizarre creatures with the intent to discuss contemporary society and modern survival skills.
Installation artist Ho will be exhibiting her "Balancing Act III" installation — a set of gates that swings like a rocking chair, signifying both control and protection. Ho is known for her multimedia works that incorporate paintings, videos, and sculptures. She also modifies familiar objects to make apparent the underlying issues in the world’s current social structure.
Indigenous artist Pulidan will be showcasing her "Blooming" piece conveying the pulse of tribal women engaging in the labor-intensive work of weaving and embroidering with beads. Hailing from the Paiwan tribe, the Pulima Visual Art Award recipient is known for her soft sculptures and large-scaled installations made of colorful fabrics and inspired by the traditional tribal costumes of her childhood.
The exhibition will be displaying works from a total of 65 international groups and artists, with emphasis on those born after the 1980s to share the avant-garde and lively artistic development of the millennium generation, for "Afterglow" lights up an awareness of what it means to keep making art in the 21st century.