Minister Lee Yung-te touts democracy, freedom in support of Hong Kong
Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te visited the Taiwan Comic Base on July 4 to partake in a special exhibition titled "Rebellious Brushes: Anniversary Exhibition of the Anti-ELAB Protests in HK." He not only expressed his support of Hong Kong's comic creators in their fight for freedom and democracy, but also his personal interest in the future development of Taiwanese comics and upholding Taiwan's environment of creative freedom and diversity.
The Minister took a tour of the exhibition with curator Chen Yi-ching (陳怡靜), exploring exhibits on the second and third floors and partaking in a virtual-reality experience made by an anonymous Hong Kong creator that placed him virtually among the tense conflict between protesters and police on the streets of Hong Kong.
Remarking that the exhibits were both creative and authentic, Lee noted that he was among the first reporters to visit China after the lifting of martial law in Taiwan, and during that trip, he felt the ominous political atmosphere there leading up to the Tiananmen Square incident.
Through this exhibition, one can gain a better appreciation for the strength and courage of Hong Kong's youths in protesting despite state violence, as well as the sense of powerlessness many there feel, Lee said. He called on the people of Taiwan to show their care and support for Hong Kong, for "democracy, freedom, and humanity will always defeat evil."
The Minister explained that during his tenure as editor-in-chief of the Independence Evening Post, he established its first comics section and regularly featuring single- and four-panel comics. The warm response from readers, he added, was an indication that comics are both easy to read and an effective medium of communication.
Taiwan boasts the freest creative environment in Asia and has tremendous potential for the development of a visual arts economy, while the narrative nature of comics makes them uncommonly well-positioned among visual arts for use in a variety of situations, he concluded.
As such, in recent years the government has begun to invest resources into helping the comics industry grow, from physical assistance like the Taiwan Comic Base to more intangible elements like mentorship grants.
In addition to continuing to support the Creative Comic Collection initiative and providing creators with places to present their works to build up reputation, this new focus has successfully produced some 270 serial and one-shot comics covering a wide variety of subjects, including "Son of Formosa (來自清水的孩子)," on the story of political prisoner Tsai Kun-lin (蔡焜霖); "Tan-Tsu-Niu (守娘)," on issues of gender equality; and "Doctor Rednose (小丑醫生)," about using humor to cheer on hospitalized kids. This diversity is further demonstration of the variety of creative perspectives and issues spotlighted by Taiwan's comics.
The Ministry of Culture is actively promoting comics as an important part of Taiwan's cultural branding and will continue to work with the Taiwan Creative Content Institute to nurture even more homegrown publications. At the same time, the Taiwan Comic Base will continue to serve as an evolving space for exchange across different fields, helping foster connections between books and industries to encourage a robust ecosystem and help the synergy of Taiwan's comics reach a wider international audience.
"Rebellious Brushes: Anniversary Exhibition of the Anti-ELAB Protests in HK" runs through July 26 in Taipei; read the original press release here.