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Washington, DC | 'Art in Context: Taiwan'

  • Date:2017-02-23
Washington, DC | 'Art in Context: Taiwan'

Artists and academics gathered in an independent art gallery in Washington, DC on Feb. 23 to discuss how contemporary artists in Taiwan are challenging perceptions of identity even as the broader socio-economic conditions impact their creative work.


The Hillyer Art Space event was moderated by Sarah Tanguy, a curator with the US Department of State's Art in Embassies program, and featured artist Tseng Pin-chieh (曾品潔), professor Peng Ying-chen, and cultural official Kuei Yeh-chin (桂業勤).


Tseng is a Taiwanese visual artist whose solo exhibition "Soliloquize” was recently featured by Hillyer Art Space. Comprising of a series of paintings and sculptures based on human behavior observations, the exhibition explored the importance of listening in a society increasingly filled with one-sided conversations.


"Soliloquize” is also the artist's take on the relationship between the Taiwan government and the Taiwanese people. She noted that where there is a lack of listening and dialogue, there will be no discussion and hence no solution to the problems at hand. Tseng also added that the lack of available space for large-scale installation art in Taiwan was what drove her to paint instead.


Dr. Peng is an assistant professor at the American University who specializes in late imperial and modern Chinese art history. As a former National Palace Museum staff member, her academic focus includes gender issues and the globalization of material culture. At the forum, she highlighted the importance of understanding historical context when discussing the arts and culture of Taiwan.


Kuei is the director of the newly established Taiwan Academy in Washington, DC. He is responsible for guiding the fourth American branch of the Ministry of Culture in promoting Taiwan culture in the 10 states of Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee.


Kuei outlined Taiwan's broader programs for supporting both emerging and established artists in Taiwan, citing the Taiwan Art Bank project which purchases local artworks and loan its collection to display in public spaces like airports, metro stations, and hotels.


The "Art in Context” series is part of an international partnership initiative between US arts institutes and their foreign counterparts that creates a forum for discussion and discovery among global leaders in the artistic, academic, diplomatic, and policy communities.



Highlights from the forum can be viewed below: