To foster collaboration in the fields of culture and arts, the Taiwan Cultural Center in Paris signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Le Lieu Unique, France's National Center for Contemporary Arts, on July 28. The Ministry of Culture has launched a series of cultural projects, including the "Focus Taiwan," to introduce Taiwan's cultural diversities to Europe.
Under the "Focus Taiwan," Le Lieu Unique in the western French city of Nantes will present a series of Taiwan-themed programs throughout the coming year, including an exhibition on Taiwan's contemporary art. To be co-curated by the French center and the Taichung-based National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, the exhibition is expected to be the largest display of Taiwanese contemporary arts held in Europe. During the exhibition, theater, dance and music programs will be presented.
Invited by Le Lieu Unique, a series of Taiwan-themed cinematic works with a focus on virtual reality productions will be shown at the "Festival des 3 Continents" – an annual film festival in Nantes dedicated to the screening of films from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Patrick Gyger, director of Le Lieu Unique, has visited Taiwan for numerous times. Deeply impressed by Taiwan's cultural richness and diverse creative energy, the Swiss curator has rolled out a series of cooperation projects with art institutions in Taiwan. In 2018, Taiwanese comic artists Li Lung-chieh (李隆杰) and Chiu Row-long (邱若龍) were invited to hold workshops at Mangasia, an international traveling exhibition held by the French center.
Describing Nantes "as another essential site showcasing Taiwan's art in France outside of Paris," Director Lien Li-li (連俐俐) of Taiwan Cultural Center in Paris said, the cultural ties between Taiwan and Nantes go back a long way. Several important Taiwanese directors made their debut or first gained recognition in the city. Through the collaboration, Lien added, more Taiwanese artists will be able to connect themselves to the world through Nantes.
Nantes, the sixth largest city in France with a population of over 620,000, thrives with cultural vibrancy. In addition to holding 86 art festivals annually, Nantes is known for The Machines of the Isle of Nantes, an artistic, touristic and cultural project, featuring mechanical animals including the famous giant elephant.