The 2023/24 International Biennial for Paper Fibre Art (IBPFA) presented by the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute (NTCRI) is now running at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taipei. Titled “Earth Speak: Giving Voice to Paper,” this year’s exhibition is curated by international fiber artist Amy Richard.
The IBPFA is a new platform for contemporary paper fiber art. Founded by French artist Jan Fairbairn-Edwards in 2012, its objective is to elevate paper fiber artists to the international stage. The partnership with NTCRI started during the IBPFA tour in 2016 in Taiwan. Consequently, the 2017/18 and 2021/2022 editions of IBPFA, titled “ECO-sublime” and “Transfiguration” respectively, were co-organized in Taiwan. This year, NTCRI took the helm under the support of Fairbairn-Edwards and international partners.
Director Chen Tien-li (陳殿禮) of NTCRI said that as time passes, paper has transformed into a vessel for design and art besides being used as media for textual messages. He hoped that this event would be able to lead people into understanding the different faces and possibilities of paper fiber art.
The IBPFA held an open call for participation earlier this year, amassing 179 pieces of artwork by 106 artists from 24 countries that reacted to the call. In the end, 54 artworks were selected, with participation by 44 artists from 17 countries.
This exhibition is set to open from Nov. 2 to 14 in Taipei and from Dec. 8 to March 31, 2024, in Nantou County. During the exhibition, curator Amy Richard will be invited to join in a virtual seminar, along with international artists such as Jounghye Yoo from South Korea, Nancy Cohen and Meagan Woods from the U.S., Aleksandra Polenska from Poland, and Gloria Florez from Australia to share their thoughts and ideas with local audiences.
For more information, please visit IBPFA website https://biennialartpaperfibre.com/.