ART TAIPEI 2024: Galleries E01｜Indigenous Art X01

At the Galleries Sector, booth E01, we exhibit works by ten leading artists from Taiwan and abroad, including Yuyu YANG (Taiwan, 1926-1997), JU Ming (Taiwan, 1938-2023), LEE Shichi (Taiwan, 1938-2019), DONG Shaw-hwei (Taiwan, 1962-), LI Chen (Taiwan, 1963-), LIU Fengzhi (China, 1964-2017), Tobe KAN (Hong Kong, 1984-), Ross Caliendo (USA, 1988-), Carlo D’Anselmi (USA, 1991-), and Guy Yanai (Israel, 1971-). This program represents our recent achievements in modern and contemporary art both domestically and internationally. Additionally, Asia Art Center is honored to participate in the Indigenous Art Exhibition Area’s curatorial collaboration, working alongside the Taiwan Art Gallery Association and Taiwan’s Indigenous Peoples Cultural Development Center. This collaborative project has now reached its fifth edition. Through this partnership, we present works by four Taiwanese Contemporary Indigenous artists: Ruby Swana (1959-), Etan Pavavalung (1963-), Malay Makakazuwan (1980-), and Ciwas Tahos (1989-), showcasing the diversity of Taiwanese art.

The E01 booth features a rare convergence of large-scale sculptures by Yuyu YANG’s “Advent of the Phoenix III,” JU Ming’s “Taichi Arch,” and LI Chen’s “Dragon-Riding Buddha,” offering a glimpse into the development of modern and contemporary Taiwanese sculpture. This exhibition also marks the beginning of Asia Art Center’s collaboration with LEE Shichi, a significant figure of Taiwan’s modern art, highlighted by two of his paintings spanning nearly half a century. Additionally, our booth E01 incorporates a harmonious natural and cultural landscape theme in the painting section, showcasing works by DONG Shaw-hwei, Tobe KAN, LIU Fengzhi, Guy Yanai, Ross Caliendo, and Carlo D’Anselmi. These artists, coming from varied backgrounds and life experiences, explore themes of philosophy, daily life, and the relationship between humans and nature through their unique visual languages and narrative styles.

At the Indigenous Art Exhibition Area, booth X01, we delve into the expressions of four artists who address topics of ecological connection, mythology, and identity within their unique cultural contexts. Continuing the collaboration with Asia Art Center, Etan Pavavalung presents a brand-new series of mixed media works on paper that embed thought-provoking discourse from his mother, reflecting on the bond between humanity and nature. Ruby Swana’s works explore the mystical connection between spirituality and natural divinity in Pangcah culture. Malay Makakazuwan combines installation art with natural materials, blending Pinuyumayan culture and modern perspectives to reflect on contemporary society and Indigenous identity through traditional mythology and cultural history. Ciwas Tahos’s works investigate themes of cultural and gender identity, using her body as a medium to explore linguistic and cultural displacements and to search for new queer understandings. This exhibition covers diverse mediums and techniques, showcasing the innovative practices and in-depth artistic explorations of Indigenous artists in a contemporary context.

With two exhibitions at booths E01 and X01, Asia Art Center presents the rich diversity of contemporary art and, for the first time, participates in the Indigenous Art Exhibition Area. This underscores our commitment to the development of Austronesian contemporary art and the deeper cultivation of both domestic and international art.