The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Prague stated that the Taiwan Pavilion, titled "The Rare Ship – Taiwan (稀有之船—台灣)," has received positive response from various sectors at the 15th Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space (PQ), which was held from June 8 to 18.
The Prague Quadrennial, began in 1967, is initiated and funded by Czechia's Ministry of Culture and organized by the Czech Arts and Theatre Institute. It is recognized as one of the world's leading exhibitions for theater and performance design.
Responding to this year’s theme "RARE," the Taiwan Pavilion integrated elements of Taiwan, technology, tides, and forests to create a visual experience for visitors. Through the use of LED screens and lights, it showcased the imagery of the "rare island" and featured the performance "The Whisper of the Waves (潮來之音)" by Shinehouse Theatre (曉劇場).
Led by Lin Pu (林璞), president of the Taiwan Association of Theatre Technology (TATT), and curated by Chung Po-yuan (鍾伯淵), artistic director of Shinehouse Theatre, the Pavilion delved into diverse themes such as environmental change, surrogacy for same-sex couples, and post-pandemic emotions and loneliness.
The "Taiwan Day" event was organized on June 14, inviting international theater professionals to participate. Bert Determann, president of the International Organisation of Scenographers, Theatre Architects and Technicians (OISTAT), highlighted that the Taiwan Pavilion successfully combined minimalist design and captivating live performances, showcasing Taiwan's profound cultural heritage and distinctiveness.
Nearly a hundred students from Taiwan’s theater-related institutions visited the PQ this year. With the support of the TATT, the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (DAMU) signed a memorandum of understanding with three Taiwanese institutions－the College of Arts at the Chinese Culture University, College of Human Ecology at Taipei City University of Science and Technology, and the National Taiwan College of Performing Arts. This partnership will facilitate collaboration in areas such as faculty and student exchanges, academic visits, and more in the future.
(Photo courtesy of TATT)