After three years of preparation, the Ministry of Culture will be hosting a large-scale solo exhibition "Animal Farm" by Taiwanese photographer Chou Ching-hui (周慶輝) at the Museu do Oriente (Museum of the Orient) in Lisbon, Portugal from July 14 through Oct. 23. The three-month exhibition is the first massive cultural event to be held by MOC in Portugal, marking a significant step forward for the cultural exchange between Taiwan and Portugal.
Co-organized by Fundação Oriente, the president of the Portuguese private foundation Carlos Monjardino showed his gratitude to MOC, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Spain and Portugal for holding "Animal Farm" at the Museu do Oriente. He hoped that the cooperation between cultural organizations will lead to a closer cultural exchange between both nations in the future.
Chou will be exhibiting a total of 52 works including 32 pieces of photographs, nine films, and nine art installations. Chou believes that the theme of “Animal Farm” transcends cultural and language barriers and showcases the living condition of the human race. He hopes that audiences who are viewing the exhibition will be able to connect the messages conveyed with their personal life experiences and reflect on the complicated relationship between people and the environment.
Born in 1965, Chou is one of the representative contemporary photographers in Taiwan. He was originally a photojournalist who expressed his perspective and thoughts through realistic but poetic images. "Animal Farm" was his first time creating in the style of "directed photography," combining delicate and saturated images with a surrealistic atmosphere, building the author's unique language of photography.
Established by Fundação Oriente in 2008, the Museu do Oriente not only provides a chance for the Portuguese to come into contact with Asian culture but also establishes the cooperation between East and West and is a witness to globalization. The Museum also actively conducts various exhibitions and workshops to promote cultural exchange.