"Art Taipei 2009" on August 28 to September 1 to feature 78 local and foreign art galleries

By Nancy T. Lu

Art trade is not quite going down the hill despite months of talk about the global economic downturn. “Art Taipei 2009,” a project of the Art Galleries Association of the Republic of China, will unfold at the Taipei World Trade Center from August 28 to September 1 this year.

The major art trade event will see the participation of 78 art galleries, including 37 international representatives and 29 first-timers. Multi-media artists from Taiwan, Japan, China and Korea, among other countries, will spice up the art show, giving it a new face. Japan this year will have a significant representation at the event, said the organizers.

Eness from Australia, which has a pool of multimedia designers and digital artists working in the interactive domain, will be featured in keeping with the theme of “Art and Environment.” Science and technology will come into play here. At the press conference to launch "Art Taipei 2009," Shih Jui-jen, director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei and active curator of “Art Taipei 2009,” presented an interesting video clip of “The Lightscraper.”

Shih remarked: “This year will see a clash of the natural environment with man-made environment. Also graffiti art will be pulled into the realm of legitimate art.”

"Art Taipei 2009" will have areas devoted to “Art Galleries,” “2009 Art Project,” “Made in Taiwan – Young Artist Discovery,” ”Art Now – Southeast Asia,” “Ela Asia (Electronic Art),” and “International Art Media.”

Photo taken during the press conference at the Huashan Art District shows (from left): Shih Jui-jen, director of Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei; Yeh Ming-shui of Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA); Minister Huang Pi-twan of the Council for Cultural Affairs; Hsiao Yao of Capital Art; and Wang Szu-yung of the Art Galleries Association of R.O.C.