The physical exhibition "Lumière : The Enlightenment and Self-Awakening of Taiwanese Culture (光──臺灣文化的啟蒙與自覺)," which will present the groundbreaking work "Water of Immortality (甘露水)" by late sculptor Huang Tu-shui (黃土水) at the Museum of National Taipei University of Education (MoNTUE), will be available for registration starting on Dec. 10.
Born in 1895 under Japanese colonial rule, Huang Tu-shui was an iconic sculptor and the first Taiwanese artist to participate in the Imperial Art Exhibition in Japan. He was proud of his Taiwanese identity and advocated that artists should create a spiritual civilization that matches Taiwan's for those who live here.
Completed in 1921, the marble statue "Water of Immortality" was the second work by Huang to be displayed at the Imperial Art Exhibition in Japan, the most prestigious art event in the country, where it received critical acclaim. The 1.75-meter-tall sculpture was collected by the Taiwan Education Association (now 228 Memorial Museum) in 1931, a year after Huang passed away, and displayed in a posthumous exhibition. However, it was later abandoned at the Taichung railway station for unknown reasons in 1958.
Lost for over half a century, the statue will be brought to the public eye once again. Modeled after the classic image of "The Birth of Venus," the statue reinterprets the goddess with a Taiwanese female form, ushering in a new art landscape for a new generation, as well as stunning the world with its eye-catching beauty.
Under the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Fu Lu Culture Foundation (福祿文化基金會), the exhibition "Lumière: The Enlightenment and Self-Awakening of Taiwanese Culture" aims to revisit the enlightenment and self-awakening of Taiwanese culture. The exhibition is divided into four sub-topics, and presents a reinterpreted cultural drama, as well as a documentary and video interactive installation also titled "Water of Immortality."
For more information, please visit MoNTUE's Facebook page.