TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei Dangdai Art & Ideas, an exhibition of contemporary art, opens at the Nangang Exhibition Hall this weekend (May 12-14), featuring 90 domestic and international galleries as well as specially curated talks and exhibits.
Following the COVID pandemic, many are eagerly awaiting the return of Dangdai without attendance restrictions. Organizers promise this year's exhibit will rival that of 2019 and 2020 when record attendance and sales were achieved.
An early supporter of Dangdai is Hanart TZ Gallery, led by Johnson Chang (張頌仁), a curator of contemporary Chinese art. The gallery continues to garner interest and attention in its 35 years of exploring contemporary Chinese artwork.
This weekend, Hanart will showcase five artists under the exhibition title, “Exit. Escape. Remote. Beyond.” According to a press release, the artists on display "explore the deep cultivation of artistic craft, and the physical and psychological state of remoteness or reclusion. Each of the artists, in their own way, chose to live a life apart from the mainstream."
A photograph by Yeh Wei-li on exhibit at Taipei Dangdai. (Hanart Gallery image)
The exhibition's philosophy presents a rebuke of materialism in the unfettered pursuit of artistic visions. The best example of this is the late Yeh Shih-chiang (葉世強), one of Taiwan’s most reclusive and enigmatic artists who is being celebrated with new artwork and a book launch by international publisher Rizzoli.
“Constellations” is the first illustrated book in English focused on the extraordinary life and work of Yeh Shih-chiang. It is also the first major Taiwanese artist that Rizzoli has published, making it a particularly significant contribution to the field.
The book was made possible through collaboration with installation artist and photographer Yeh Wei-li (葉偉立), who reimagined and reframed the works in a modern context and restored the former art studio and living spaces.
Art book featuring collected works of late artist Yeh Shih-chiang. (Hanart Gallery image)
The official launch of “Constellations” will take place at the Hanart TZ Gallery booth at Taipei Dangdai. In tandem with the book launch, the Ideas Forum at 2023 Taipei Dangdai will feature Rizzoli's European editor in conversation with curator Johnson Chang and artist Yeh Wei-Li, as they reflect on the origins and process of this five-year project.
A panel discussion will be held on Friday (May 12) at 11:30-12:30, and again on Saturday (May 13) at 11:30-12:30.
A photo by Yeh Wei-li on display at Taipei Dangdai. (Hanart Gallery image)
