The Ministry of Culture worked with the French Office in Taipei to hold the annual Taiwan-France Atelier, themed this year on the historical industrial sites of the future and the advent of an urban cultural renaissance, as the preservation of cultural heritage is among the Ministry's core tasks.
French experts were invited to Taiwan to share their country's experience in promoting the transformation of historic industrial sites, along with an in-depth analysis of policy trends, promotional focal points, and operating mechanisms. The event ran for two days on Sept. 17 and 18 at the National Taiwan Museum's Nanmen Park.
Guests at this year's event included Jean-François Delhay, director of the French Ministry of Culture's Office of Cultural Heritage Preservation Engineering; urban planner Paul Citron; and architect Julien Beller.
From the Taiwan side, C. David Tseng, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at National Chiao Tung University; chair of the Department of Architecture at Taipei Tech Chang Kun-chen; Tainan National University of the Arts professor Gong Jow-jiun; and Lin Chang-jay of the Ministry of Culture's Department of Cultural Resources were also in attendance.
This collection of experts explored questions of how to revitalize historic industrial sites by incorporating sustainability and contemporary cultural relevance, and how to better spur public engagement and social innovation. They also shared their own practical experiences from their respective fields.
The Taiwan-France Atelier can be traced back to the Séminaire Malraux, which was established in 1995 by the former Council of Cultural Affairs (now the Ministry of Culture) together with the French Ministry of Culture and the French Office in Taipei, to foster greater Taiwan-France cooperation and exchange.
It was later transformed into an atelier looking to learn from France's experience with the revitalization of cultural heritage through the participation of those directly involved. Through the atelier, mutual understanding of the situation and development of each side has been fostered, leading to new, innovative ideas and measures. For more information, please see the official website at http://www.tfatelier.com.tw.