TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A total of 14 artworks have been installed along Taitung’s southeast coast as part of the Nanhui Art Project; however, reports of visitors moving art pieces and an irresponsible opening ceremony have tainted the opening of the show.

Among the works, created by artists in Taiwan and around the world, two pieces in particular have garnered much interest. “Bigfoot the Walk for Awareness” features a large sculpture of a man with enormous feet, earning him the nickname “Big-Footed Giant,” while “Ripping from the South” features an oversized mosaic pair of Taiwan’s iconic blue-and-white slippers.

However, while the Big-Footed Giant had been placed strategically at an angle that put both the mountains and sea in the background, visitors have on multiple occasions moved the artwork. As the sculpture weighs 380 kilograms, the grinding sand underneath has damaged its paint job, leading the Taitung County government to call on visitors to respect the artists’ work and vision.

The opening ceremony on Saturday (Aug. 14) also saw controversy when attendees reported on Facebook that caterers had served guests without adhering to the COVID-19 prevention measures mandated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

In response, the Taitung County Government issued a statement on Wednesday (Aug. 18) saying that the ceremony had admitted under 100 guests and that they had taken their temperatures, sanitized their hands, and left contact-tracing information. Nonetheless, the close proximity of diners to each other had indeed “left room for improvement,” and the local health department will issue fines accordingly, the city government added.