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Record number of Taiwanese artists invited to present works at 2020 Yokohama Triennale

  • Date:2020-07-17
Record number of Taiwanese artists invited to present works at 2020 Yokohama Triennale

A record number of three Taiwanese artists are showing works at the 2020 Yokohama Triennale in Japan, which opened on July 17 and will run through Oct. 11. Interdisciplinary creators Zhang Xu-zhan (張徐展), Joyce Ho (何采柔), and Aluaiy Pulidan (武玉玲) have been chosen by the curatorial team of this year's Yokohama Triennale to present their respective piece at the 7th edition of the landmark art exhibition.

Installation artist Ho presents her "Balancing Act III" installation — a set of painted fences fitted with rocking-chair bases, challenging the viewers' perception of what is considered normal.

Indigenous artist Pulidan, meanwhile, showcases her "The Axis of Life" piece composed of five delicately woven artworks. Through the installment of vibrant colors, the Pulima Visual Art Award recipient seeks to present rich and diverse imagery of tribal women and to highlight the indigenous autonomy.

Contemporary artist Zhang introduces the audience at Tokyo to his new work "AT5," which features characteristics of Asian folktales and choreographed Taiwanese religious parade. With his editing technique and changing images, the 32-year-old artist delineates the dimension of global connectedness.

Since its establishment in 2001, the Yokohama Triennale has attracted a total of 1.89 million visitors. For the first time, the dynamic event welcomes artistic directors from abroad and is anchored by the Delhi-based trio Raqs Media Collective. Themed "After Glow," the exhibition displays artworks from a total of 65 groups and emerging artists worldwide.

The Taiwan Cultural Center in Tokyo, a platform for promoting Taiwanese culture in Japan, said the center and the National Culture and Arts Foundation have been in close contact with the organizers of the Yokohama-based exhibition since 2019 for opportunities that artists from home will shine at the high-profile exhibition.

Speaking at the press preview for the event, Director Mika Kuraya of the Yokohama Museum of Art said the artworks of the three Taiwanese artists are all spectacular and it is believed that these pieces will capture viewers' eye.

As Taiwanese artists are not able to visit Japan for the exhibition due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the exhibition applied remote and audio-visual technologies, through which Japanese on-site interpreters and exhibition staff were able to receive synchronous and real-time instruction from the three artists in Taiwan, the director noted.