The "Pristine Poetics — Ko Si Chi's 90th Year of Photographic Art" exhibition will be held from Oct. 5 through Nov. 12 at the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. The legendary Taiwanese photographer Ko Si-chi (柯錫杰) will be exhibiting 70 pieces of his classic masterpieces on such topics as humanity, portraits, and the human body.
Master photographer Ko was born in Tainan in 1929, and went to study photography in Japan in 1959. He then moved to New York in the 1960s. In 2006, he was honored with the 10th National Award for Arts by Taiwan's National Culture and Arts Foundation. He has extensively traveled across the world to broaden his artistic horizons and create a unique style that crosses the boundaries between pure art and commercial photography.
As one of the few Taiwanese artists to find success in the commercial photography industry in the United States, the 90-year-old is also one of the most senior and decorated photographers in Taiwan. Ko's photography style brings a unique and humanistic touch to the absolute beauty of "modernism" and presents the purity of a minimalist landscape.
National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Director-General Liang Yung-fei (梁永斐) conveyed Minister of Culture Cheng Li-chiun's greetings to maestro Ko, explaining that the Ministry attaches great importance to the art of photography. In addition to the opening of the National Center of Photography in Taipei next year, the Taichung-based National Taiwan Museum of Fine Art also has a large center for photographic restoration and collection. Moreover, maestro Ko's works will be preserved as a national cultural asset when the opportunity arises, stated Liang.
Curator Aaron Chiu Chih-yung (邱誌勇) noted that this exhibition is a retrospective of the best-acclaimed works of Ko's life, presented through both physical displays and virtual projection. Additionally, an accompanying reinterpretation of Ko's classic works will be displayed through embroidered art and interactive multimedia.
More information, including the schedule for supplementary lectures, is available at https://event.culture.tw/YATSEN/.