The Ministry of Culture announced on June 12 that the current director of the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA), Liao Jen-I (廖仁義), is set to retire from his position on July 1. Professor Chen Kuang-yi (陳貺怡), the dean of the College of Fine Arts at the National Taiwan University of Arts, has been seconded to assume the role.
Culture Minister Shih Che expressed his gratitude for Liao's continuous efforts in elevating the software and hardware quality of the NTMoFA, his contributions to the reconstruction of Taiwan's art history as well as curatorial work, among other endeavors. He believes that Chen will be able to use her expertise in both art history and curation to lead NTMoFA and take Taiwanese art history to a new level.
Minister Shih stated that directors of contemporary art museums face challenges posed by societal and cultural transformations, therefore, it is necessary that the director, especially with NTMoFA serving as the national art museum, possesses a diverse range of skills, including perceptiveness, empathy, leadership, and decisiveness. Furthermore, the director must be capable of developing various management approaches, fostering the distinctive cultural characteristics of the region, and engaging in dialogue with international communities.
Chen Kuang-yi received a Doctorate Degree of Contemporary Art (in 19th -20th Century) at Université Paris Nanterre in France. Previously, she served as an editorial board member for "The Sculpture Research Semiyearly (雕塑研究學術半年刊)" and "Journal of Taipei Fine Arts Museum (現代美術學報)," as well as a consultant and review committee member for the Taiwan Art Gallery Association. She also held positions as a board member of the National Culture and Arts Foundation and the Quanta Culture and Education Foundation. In addition, she fulfilled roles as a jury member for awards such as the National Award for Arts and took on roles as an international curator and academic advisor for institutions such as the National Museum of History, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, and the National Palace Museum.