The "International Biennial Print Exhibit: ROC," one of the longest-running global print exhibitions in the world at 35 years and counting, will showcase the winning works of its 18th edition from June 23 through Sept. 2 in Taichung City.
This year's exhibition received a total of 1,493 submissions from 74 nations, with the most applicants hailing from China, Japan, Poland, and Taiwan. The finalists — gold, silver, and bronze prize, along with 2 special jury awards, 5 merit awards, and 5 honorable mentions — were then chosen from a shortlist of 202 works.
This year's gold prize was awarded to German artist Tina Wohlfarth, the silver to Taiwanese artist Lo Pin-ho, and the bronze to Bangladesh artist Roosevelt Benjamin D'Rozario. Among the awarded artists, special jury prize winner Orlando Martinez Vesga and honorable mention Robert Jancovic Jr. are from Colombia and Slovakia — nations that were rarely seen in previous exhibitions.
This year's artists included many emerging artists in their 20s as well as mid-career artists, which shows that the event is not only an opportunity for young artists to gain attention and cultivate confidence, but also a stage for mature artists to exchange ideas and showcase their skills.
Furthermore, although woodcuts and etchings take up a high percentage among the 202 shortlisted works that will be showcased at this year's event, other works created with a variety of media and techniques will also be displayed. Digital prints, a product of the advancement of technology, will also add to the richness of this year's displays.
Integrating personal creativity with the culture of their nations, these featured artists strengthen the depth of the biennial exhibition with such themes as environmental concerns, expression of the subconscious, observations on life and humanity, and pure discourse on form and color. These works add richness to the creative spectrum of prints and promote understanding and exchange among different cultures.
The "International Biennial Print Exhibit: ROC" is organized by the Taichung-based National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts to promote cultural exchange through art and highlight the versatility of printmaking.
‘International Biennial Print Exhibit: ROC’