Aiming to cultivate technology-inspired artists in Taiwan and increase their international visibility, the Ministry of Culture (MOC) launched a techno art assistance program. Through the program, the MOC has supported a total of 142 art projects until 2023. These projects have stood out in art festivals, awards, competitions at home and abroad over the years, including Riverbed Theatre’s (河床劇團) “Over the Rainbow (彩虹彼端),” Very Theatre’s (狠劇場) “Traversing in the Mist (穿越霧中),” and Sphere Tricksters’ (天球機靈藝術工作室) “Drifter (盲流計畫)” in the previous year.
Last year, the virtual reality (VR) theater show “Over the Rainbow” won the Panorama Prize of the Montreal Festival du Nouveau Cinema and was selected in the Immersive Selection of the Venice International Film Festival. Meanwhile, the VR ensemble performance “Traversing in the Mist” premiered at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam.
“Drifter,” a piece created by artist Tao Ya-lun (陶亞倫) to reunite a Ukrainian in exile with his family using VR technology, was invited to showcase the result at the International Festival of Audio-visual & New Media Art in Madrid, Spain, and at the Mediations Biennale Istanbul, Turkey.
In 2024, the MOC will continue to promote the development of technology and art to heighten the importance and prevalence of this art genre in the country.