[Taiwan] Beautiful art, seaside city, lovable people. “ART KAOHSIUNG 2022 -Kaohsiung Art Fair-”

The second-largest city in Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait to the west and the Bashi Strait to the south for 4 days from 2022/11/10 (Thu) to 13 (Sun)^※・An art fair in Kaohsiung that is increasing its international profile year by year”ART KAOHSIUNG 2022” was held as a commemorative edition for the 10th anniversary.

The city of Kaohsiung is blessed with a climate and is considered to be particularly friendly in Taiwan. The organizer is the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Kaohsiung City Government, and until now they have teamed up with art fairs that are actively developing activities in various parts of Asia to build an art exchange platform in Southeast and Northeast Asia.

Also, “The Pier-2 Art Center,” which became a memorable venue for the 10th anniversary, is a complex art space where the old warehouse district spanning Yancheng District and part of Gushan District in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, was boldly renovated with the theme of “avant-garde, experimentation, and innovation.” It is a popular spot where art fans and culture fans from Taiwan and abroad gather every day.

This time, our corporation fully backs up exhibitions by a total of 6 Japanese artists. While various works from various countries were lined up, it was held over 4 days as a booth that strongly plays a part in Japanese art.
　　　　　

* It has a trade port representing Taiwan, and is effectively positioned as Taiwan's second largest economic and cultural center after Taipei City.

ART KAOHSIUNG 2022 -KAOHSIUNG ART FAIR-
‍Period: 2022/11/10 (Thu) to 13 (Sun)
Venue: The Pier-2 Art Center (Kaohsiung, Taiwan)

There is also a limited-time preview and an elaborate reception

On November 10, which was the first day, a preview for collectors will begin at 14:00, and VIPs will begin at 15:00. The artists who traveled there also met each other for the first time since entering Taiwan, and it seems that they quickly deepened exchanges through art, as they both expressed their feelings from their respective works, and sometimes raised voices of admiration for the expressive techniques of the exhibited works.

The collectors and VIPs who visited the venue didn't lose out either. Since it was the first day, I thought it would be a wait-and-see first, but it seemed like they were carefully scrutinizing for the main season starting tomorrow, such as listening intently to each artist's explanation that powerfully conveys the appeal of their work.

After the preview, I moved to a waterfront restaurant. The reception was held at the venue, which was surrounded by pleasant sea breezes and beautiful night views. Here, too, the warm personalities of the Taiwanese people were fully demonstrated, and the party was staged with delicious, heartfelt cuisine, and live band performances that made you want to start dancing. It was a wonderful night where not only people from Taiwan, but also artists and people involved in art from various countries came together to talk about their passion for art while expressing their passion for art with their mind and body. The friendly hospitality was such that even though it was still the eve of the festival, there were artists who decided to exhibit next year.

A public day where the Deputy Mayor of Kaohsiung City also visited

The main session, where the general public will attend, will begin on 11/11 (Friday). Normally, exhibitions using hotels were the main ones.”ART KAOHSIUNG“But this time, the venue is a stylish complex art space. There is also the 10th anniversary fair, and many art fans gathered even before the opening time.

Many people involved in art from overseas also visited the venue, such as Taiwanese celebrities, starting with Mr. Shi Zhe, the deputy mayor of Kaohsiung City, and Japanese people who are professors at Yokohama's art university. People who love the same art regardless of their countries and positions were interacting with each other through their works, as well as with artists who had traveled.

Also, is it Taiwanese culture? Every day, fair organizers offer sweets, coffee, tapioca drinks, etc. to artists and staff. Thanks in part to this, the venue always has an atmosphere full of warmth... Everyone was relieved to see such a scene, which is not often seen at art fairs outside of Taiwan.

Many works have been contracted. Even those who bought a work of art for the first time

Many works were signed over the course of 4 days at this fair as well. What left a particular impression on me was a couple of people who purchased a work by a certain artist. Actually, this was the first time for both of them to buy art, so it seems that the decision was made after worrying and worrying anyway. We purchased 1 item each, for a total of 2 items. One of them is a Japanese teacher. Taiwan is also known as a pro-Japanese country, and there are many people who can speak Japanese.

Various media will be interviewed during the exhibition

This “ART KAOHSIUNG” is held mainly by the government for the purpose of revitalizing and developing the art industry in southern Taiwan as a whole, and during the exhibition, many media such as the Fengxin Shimbun, Lavie, and Kaiak.tw visited, and the Japan promotion booth was also covered.

▼ Hoshin Shimbun (YouTube)

After the session

Thanks to the efforts of everyone, starting with the artists,”ART KAOHSIUNG 2022” was thus able to come to an end with great success. I feel that it was a very attractive fair that strongly reflected the personalities of Taiwanese people, which was different from American and European art fairs.
Also, since they are both countries located in the same East Asia, what I felt was very similar to Japan was the approach that the visitors focused on the work. This is likely to be used as a reference when considering exhibiting in Taiwan in the future. Our corporation will continue to make efforts to manage attractive art fairs in the future, so thank you for your cooperation.

Consultations and requests for materials regarding exhibitions are being accepted at any time

Please contact us using the form below or via the “Contact Us” email form. The person in charge will reply to you shortly.

◎ Addressee: Japan Promotion Association ART KAOHSIUNG Exhibit Office
◎ Address: Ebina Building 4F, 6-18-10 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001
◎ Telephone: 03-5766-2450/Fax: 03-5766-2451
◎ Email: info@japanpromotion.org

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