By Luchia Meihua Lee
Outside In-New Realm for Taiwan Art, 2008
TAIWAN AND THE WORLD
The vernacular of contemporary art
in Taiwan has been shaped in large part by its geography as an island and its
access throughout history to manifold influence from abroad, from countries including
Spain, the Netherlands, and Japan. I the 1970s, Taiwan’s economic boom
enabled many students to study at western art institutions, and a new generation of artist quickly became skilled at
incorporating outside influences into their own styles.
Local influences, however, came to play as large a role as
the global, and an ethos emphasizing Taiwan artistic individuality swept the
island in the 1970s. The establishment of museums and alternative art spaces in
Taiwan marked a milestone in the availability of resources for Taiwan
contemporary artists. This growth in public interest in art enable Taiwan to cultivate an artistic dynamism and become a setting for
work that reflected uniquely local concerns and sensibilities. In addition,
the heritage drawn from both the South Pacific islanders, who constituted
Taiwan’ original settlers, as well as that from mainland China, have become
interesting fulcrums by which “local” art was and continues to be defined.
Artist in Taiwan today are faced with questions that
confront all artists around the world. With rapid growth in communications,
artist cannot help but be affected by ideas from across the globe and inspired
to join international art movements. In Taiwan, this
has been accompanied by migrations to the U. S. and Europe, not only of
students from Taiwan but also of established members of the Taiwan art
community, including artist, art historian and curators. At the same time,
members of the Taiwan art community do not want to neglect their local heritage
and traditions. This tension between embracing the
influence of international contemporary art and finding a native voice has
asserted itself artistic identity in the midst of the 21stcentury’s ever
shifting “global village.”
TAIWAN AND MAINLAND CHINA (PRC)
In recent year, East Asia has experienced an economic boom
as well as an upsurge in international public interest. In particular, artists
from mainland China have achieved a high profile and prices for their works
have reached new height. However, artist from Taiwan have not gained access
into this elite circle. This applies equally to artists in Taiwan and to
artists from Taiwan living in the U.S. or Europe.
For example, in Sotheby’s first
auction of contemporary Asian art, held in 2006, very few artists from Taiwan
were included, while others were not recognized as being from Taiwan. Despite
the fact that Taiwan artists are artistically active on the mainland and
abroad, their art commands far lower prices and less attention than Chinese art
from the mainland.
Artist mainland China and Taiwan share many of the same
traditions, techniques and influences. Yet for myriad reasons, the vernacular
of each body of work can, in some cases, be strikingly different. Although a common method by which to try to define the
nature of Taiwan art is to compare its aesthetics and subject matter with that mainland
Chinese art – vice -versa-such comparisons can be reductive. Nonetheless,
viewing art from Taiwan and mainland China in a mutual context can provide
fascinating insight into both the history and contemporary developments of
Chinese art as a whole.
BEING “OUTSIDE IN”
The artists showcased in Outside in have dual outsider
status. Not only do they engage on the outskirts of the booming Chinese art
market,
Which is dominated by artist from mainland China, but in
order to find a market for their work, many of them have chosen to work and /or
sell their art abroad. Artists are perhaps most original and useful to society
when they stand outside of it, however the individuals represented in Outside
In are far from marginalized. Active in the United States, Europe and beyond,
they continue making new spaces-international local-for their artistic
expression.
One question that has arisen for
many of the artists in this exhibit is what it means to self-identify as a
Taiwan artist when they are no longer working, living, and /or selling art in
Taiwan. Some are given the label “International artists” while others have
chosen this term to identify themselves. Other artists have been lumped together
with artists from Mainland China in exhibitions with no mention of their Taiwan
origin. Artistic identity plays a large part in the concept behind Outside In.
In this exhibit, we choose not to address the political
issues facing Taiwan or its artists; instead, we would like to take a more
expansive view of the world of contemporary art, and the dimensions of being
both “Outside” and “In.” Some of the themes recurring in this exhibit are
alienation and alliance in its various guises and the relationship between
humans and their environment.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY ART IN TAIWAN
The end of World War II and the transfer of Taiwan to the Republic
of China, follow by the relocation of the ROC government to Taiwan in 1949.marks
a watershed moment in the development of Taiwan art. With the concurrent
resurgence of the literati tradition, there was conflict at first between older
styles and those more recently developed. This conflict eventually turned into
a fascinating interaction and tendency in artistic communities to embrace both
old and new in creating art.
As mentioned, Taiwan turned inward in the 1970s, focusing
even more on its various art forms. What is known as the Museum Age ensued,
spurring the growth of alternative art spaces which championed feminism, ethnic
diversity, and pluralism. New ideas abounded, with a resultant renewed effort
to incorporate Western styles and various art forms into Taiwan contemporary
art.
The creative impulses if Taiwan artists were further deepened
by the lifting of martial law in 1987. Greater access to the free flow of
information resulted in many students becoming more globally aware and
traveling overseas to study art. OF equal importance was the economic boom that
Taiwan experienced during this time, which spurred even greater government support
for the artis. Artists active during this time felt the effects of a more
economically and politically open atmosphere, resulting in growing artistic
self-confidence and an overwhelming diversity in subject matter.
Taiwan artists, having drawn upon such myriad sources, have
often exercised their right to criticize state and society. Yet and equally
large number of artists have produced works that are more peaceful and introspective.
The contrast between these two popular but very different movements serve to
highlight the immense range, variety, and vitality of styles currently
flourishing in Taiwan contemporary art. Such diversity and dynamism can be observed
in the sheer variety of artistic activity, including but certainly not limited
to, the re-invention of tradition, the development of postmodern art and the proliferation
of politically and socially-conscious art. Particularly in recent years, digital
art and the use of new media has been gaining ground. Likewise, the art
historians and scholars who have kept pace with these progressions are more
widely explorative than their predecessors. Spurred in part by advances in government
and in cultural policies, these developments have also had a significant effect
upon the evaluation and growth of the art market land have vaulted the art communities
of Taiwan into a singular position in relation to mainland China, Asia at
large, and the international art world.
Curatorial supporting
essay for the exhibition
Outside
In-New Realm for Taiwan Art, 2008
Weatherhead, East Asian Institute, Columbia University, New York City
