Curated with a spirit of social concern and humanistic care, the 14th Taiwan Arts Festival in Hong Kong will be held from Oct. 4 through Nov. 19 under the theme "Together Taiwan" to reflect the unlimited potential of connecting Taiwan and Hong Kong through culture and creativity.
Kao Ming-tsun, acting head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Hong Kong, said that the Taiwan Arts Festival has brought countless surprises and moving moments over the years by delivering performances, exhibitions, and special events that resonate with people's lives and touch their hearts, making the event an annual celebration of arts and culture that Hongkongers eagerly look forward to each year.
Linda Lu, acting director of the Kwang Hwa Information and Culture Center, said the Taiwan Arts Festival is actively fulfilling its role as a facilitator of diverse exchanges by working hand-in-hand with its partners to build a platform and stage that can showcase the rich fruits of Taiwan-Hong Kong collaboration. Moreover, these deep exchanges can create new opportunities for both cultures, she added.
The 2019 Taiwan Arts Festival will be presented in three sections — "The Masters: Refined by Time," "The Platform: Interactions of Collaborations," and "The New: Voices of Diversity." From inheriting the artistic essence and wisdom of great masters, to explosive Taiwan-HK projects and the innovative and diverse voices of a new generation, this year's festival will present Taiwan's flourishing culture and arts and outstanding cultural exchanges with Hong Kong.
The Masters: Refined by Time
Through an intimate conversation, the film screening of "The Walkers," and a poetry-in-motion performance and workshop, choreographer Lin Lee-chen will personally present the uniquely slow and meticulous aesthetics of Legend Lin Dance Theatre, guiding audience members to participate in the profound and magnificent festival that is life.
Internationally renowned auteur Tsai Ming-liang will also bring his latest visual work — a short film inspired by Taiwan and Hong Kong cultures. The screening will be combined with an improvised musical performance that will conjure up Taiwan and Hong Kong's shared memories of cinema.
M+ of West Kowloon Cultural District will also screen a special selection of restored Taiwanese films, including classic works by directors such as King Hu and Richard Chen Yao-chi. Electronic musician Huang Kai-yu will also hold a panel to discuss how to breathe new life into old movies.
The Hong Kong Arts Centre has also organized a special Audience's Choice screening of Ko I-cheng's Taiwanese experimental film classic "Blue Moon" to give movie-goers the opportunity to vote on their preferred sequential order of the film's five parts.
The Platform: Interactions of Collaborations
The Kwang Hwa Information and Culture Center and Freespace will present three collaborations: "Edward Lam Dance Theatre – Art School Musical," an intimate interaction between Taiwan and HK theater; "Taiwan Arts Festival x Freespace Jazz Fest," a full weekend of indoor and outdoor performances by a lineup that includes indigenous Taiwanese experimental rock band Outlet Drift; and the "Contemporary Classic Music Exchange Program," an exploration of new possibilities in contemporary music composition.
In other parts of this section, artist Chiao Yuan-pu will once again team up with the University of Hong Kong to present a musical appreciation of Alexander Pushkin's amazing literary works. A crossover concert by poets and musicians from Hong Kong and Taiwan will be held under the title "NOISE/VOICE" as well. Another set of Taiwanese sound artists will also come together for a rare and diverse performance in "Voice in Hong Kong."
The New: Voices of Diversity
In collaboration with Hong Kong International Photo Festival, Light Box Photo Library founder Tsao Liang-pin will embark on an exploration of Taiwanese photobooks over time and their connection to contemporary society. Musician Wang Yu-jun will also guide exhibition-goers on a journey of "A Beautiful Time" through music and an in-depth exchange with Hong Kong artists.
Together with the Microwave International New Media Arts Festival, the Kwang Hwa Information and Culture Center will present the works of Taiwanese artists Ku Kuang-yi, Chiu Hsiao-wei, and Huang Pang-chuan, blending memories of food and home to reconstruct the past and open up the future.
Fiber artist Kang Ya-chu, who is serving residency at the Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile (CHAT), will also weave her way through a performance based on real-life stories of Hong Kong's female textile workers. Whereas the "One Map" exhibition takes inspiration from Taiwanese mountains and oceans and aims to present Taiwan's charming design arts and everyday aesthetics.
Last but not least, the Taiwan Bar initiative that uses cute animations and humorous dialogue to reflect on Taiwanese history and society has produced its first exclusive animation for the 14th Taiwan Arts Festival. It will compare the differences and similarities between the pop cultures of Taiwan and Hong Kong.
The full bilingual program is available at http://hk.taiwan.culture.tw.