TAIPEI (Taiwan News)— Art Taipei 2020, an art event that features 77 galleries worldwide and 11 forums, kicked off Thursday (Oct. 22) and runs through Sunday at hall one of the World Trade Center.
Art Taipei 2020's first day went off without a hitch due to the nation’s successful pandemic prevention measures. The event has 77 galleries from Japan, Switzerland, and four other countries—all of which share the theme of “art for the next”, according to the Taiwan Art Gallery Association. One such exhibit is the Swiss-based gallery MAI36 which has opened its newest branch in Taipei.
Unfortunately, many international artists and collectors are unable to attend the event because of pandemic restrictions. However, event organizers have cooperated with the artwork trading platform Artsy to launch a virtual way to participate.
Government officials showed up at the press conference to support the fair. (Taiwan News photo)
Though the number of exhibitors has been reduced by half compared to last year, the event still attracted an impressively large crowd. Moreover, Vice President William Lai (賴清德), Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), and Culture Minister Lee Yung-te (李永得) all made appearances at the promotional press conference on Thursday.
The chairperson of the Taiwan Art Gallery Association, Ching-Hsin Chung (鍾經新), stated that she is very grateful the event occurred as scheduled. She added that she hopes the fair can cheer everyone up and to bravely continue on with their lives.
Lee expressed that the Ministry of Culture values visual art very much. Additionally, with the support of the Cabinet, a bill regarding artwork auction taxation has entered the legislative procedure, which she explained would help foster a more art-friendly environment in Taiwan.
Lai pointed out that the Taiwan Art Gallery Association won the Taiwan MICE Awards for its success in organizing Art Taipei 2019. He also said that the association has collaborated with the cultural ministry and education ministry in 2019 and 2020 to launch meaningful events, such as an exhibit featuring new talents titled "MIT".
One of the major exhibitions of this year's Art Taipei event is called “Visualizing the City,” which showcases the photography from Lin Yu-liang (林育良) who is President Tsai Ing-wen’s chief photographer. The series of works includes an art photography piece depicting Taipei 101 as well as photos that depict things from different perspectives.
For more information, please visit the event's website and Facebook page.
