Organized by the Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development, a subordinate organization of the Ministry of Culture, Taiwan Beats Showcase created a series of virtual performances that showcased the past and present of Taiwanese music across various genres, as part of the 2022 iteration of South by South West (SXSW) Music Festival.
The SXSW 2022 was held from March 14 to 20, both in-person and online for the first time. This year, a total of 79 stages and 1,400 artists and groups participated in the event. Six Taiwanese artists and groups－Elephant Gym (大象體操), Sorry Youth (拍謝少年), Mong Tong, DJ QuestionMark, Sleeping Brain (眠腦), and Olivia Tsao (曹雅雯) －brought eye-catching performances to the stage with six different Taiwanese music scenes.
The well-received platform Taiwan Beats Showcase from last year was what this year's performances of Taiwanese artists built upon. These performances were filmed in various locations throughout Taiwan and incorporated local culture. The locations included: a century-old cultural heritage site－Wufeng Lin Family Mansion and Garden (霧峰林家宮保第園區); Taiwanese electric flower car (電子花車); an old school movie theater－Chuang Mei Theater (全美戲院); the mysterious underground club－Pawnshop (當鋪); an experimental place hidden in the Tiaotong business district－venue (濕地). This video graphic journey finally ended with a visit to the Kaohsiung Port (高雄港), one of the busiest harbors in the world and an iconic music scene in Taiwan.
This live video showcase not only sought to connect Taiwanese culture from a century ago to the modern day but also let the music and visuals merge into a trip that was both nostalgic and contemporary.
(Photo Credit: Young Team Productions)