With the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Cultural Division of the Taipei Representative Office in Italy collaborated with publishing house Add Editore to publish the Italian edition of the comic collection “Una Breve Elegia (小輓)” by Taiwanese illustrator Animo Chen (阿尼默). It is translated by Martina Caschera, assistant professor of Chinese Literature at the University of Bergamo.
Following the publication of his comic collection “Una Breve Elegia (小輓)” in October, Chen’s solo exhibition is currently open until Jan. 7, 2024, at the Museum of Oriental Art in Turin, Italy. At the same time, he will also be on a tour of four Italian cities – Lucca, Turin, Bologna, and Milan, to engage with Italian book lovers and readers.
Noted for artistic illustrations, Animo Chen is a comic artist and animation director. “Una Breve Elegia” is a collection of three short comics that took him three years to complete, concerning themes such as death, losses, and love while depicting scenes of everyday life in a poetic way. By featuring elements of Taiwanese culture, Chen’s comics have literary merits and educational value.
“Una Breve Elegia” is Chen’s first comic collection. In 2019, just after its publication in Taiwan, it won the Openbook Award and the 44th Golden Tripod Award. In 2020, it won the BolognaRagazzi Award for the best comic at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
The Cultural Division mentioned that besides the publication and book tour, they also managed to connect Animo Chen with the Museum of Oriental Art in Turin, one of the most important exhibition centers for Eastern arts in Europe. They also said that they will continue to work on introducing outstanding Taiwanese publications to Italian readers through partnering with local publishers, bookstores, and organizations, in order to showcase Taiwan’s diverse culture.
Apart from the artist’s solo exhibition, a series of related events will also take place from Nov. 1 to 8, including author talks and book signing sessions at Lucca Comics and Games Festival, Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, and Milan’s bookstores, as well as a special dialogue session with Ramona Ponzini, a curator and cultural researcher from Turin.