With the support from the Taiwan Cultural Center in Tokyo, Taiwanese artists Wang Wen-chi (王文志) and Wang Te-yu (王德瑜) will present their works at the summer session of Setouchi Triennale 2022 (瀨戶內國際藝術節2022), a representative Japanese art festival, which will run from Aug. 5 through Sep. 4.
Wang Wen-chi, who is invited to participate in the exhibition for the fifth time, utilized Japan's bamboo poles and integrated them with Taiwanese culture to create a large-scale installation work "ZERO (歸靈)." The title references the desire to return to a near-pristine Earth before so much of it was destroyed.
Participating for the first time, Wang Te-yu created an installation titled "No. 105" on the theme of human presence and intervention in space and the resultant transformation. Departing from the traditional approach to art, which gives priority to the visual, she attempts to evoke an intuitive response and awareness through works that are open to the audience.
According to the Taiwan Cultural Center in Tokyo, transnational activities, as well as cultural and artistic exchanges, were impacted by the COVID-related restrictions; therefore, most of the artists were unable to visit the festival in person. However, the Japanese government relaxed its business visa ban in April, the participating artists were able to join the event physically.
Held every three years since 2010, the Triennale is a contemporary art festival that has attracted more than 4.22 million visitors. From April 14 to November 6, the 2022 edition is divided into three sessions following the seasons of the year, except winter, and features 184 artists from 33 countries and regions. With the theme "Restoration of the Sea (海洋復興)," the festival seeks to make the Seto Inland Sea a "Sea of Hope" for all the regions of the world.