Department of Cultural Affairs

In “SIBYL”, William Kentridge transports audiences to a mysterious ancient world. Through exquisite stagecraft and deeply moving performances, he reimagines the story of the Cumaean Sibyl from Greek mythology—her prophetic powers echoing humanity’s enduring uncertainty about the future.

In 2025, the Taipei Performing Arts Center proudly presents TPAC Select, a specially curated series showcasing top artists and productions from around the world. Each work delivers a powerful sensory experience that takes audiences into bold and immersive theatrical worlds. 

This year’s lineup features five experimental and thought-provoking pieces that delve into the nature of human existence, the forces of social change, and the limitless possibilities of our shared future.

Total Immersion in a Hyper-Theatrical Spectacle

German artist Heiner Goebbels’s “Everything that Happened and Would Happen” transports audiences onto a vast stage filled with fragments of history. The work draws inspiration from Czech writer Patrik Ouředník’s “Europeana,” the anti-operatic philosophy of American composer John Cage, and Euronews’s No Comment program. Goebbels brings together musicians, dancers, recorded texts, and video projections, each presenting major moments and smaller facets of the 20th century.

Amid the seemingly chaotic scenes, audiences are invited to piece together scattered historical traces and construct their own narratives, all while immersed in the sensory landscape that Goebbels masterfully creates.

Boris Charmatz’s First Creation at Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch

French choreographer Boris Charmatz’s “Liberté Cathédrale” is a dance work that explores the pursuit of freedom through the human body within the sacred space of a cathedral. It also marks his first creation as artistic director of Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch. 

To recreate the same sense of immediacy in Taipei, Charmatz invites audiences onto the stage of the Grand Theater, where a circular seating arrangement with an image of a cross allows for an intimate experience. Spectators are brought close enough to feel the whispers, prayers, and curses of the dancers, alongside the powerful energy of collective movement.

AI Algorithms and the Prophecy of Fate

In May 2024, Taipei Fine Arts Museum hosted a widely acclaimed solo exhibition by South African artist William Kentridge. His stage work “SIBYL” brings together his many talents in a cross-disciplinary masterpiece that fuses music, animation, and installation art. 

Inspired by the Greek myth of the Cumaean prophetess Sibyl, Kentridge explores humanity’s fear of, and longing for, the unknown. He skillfully employs his signature stop-motion drawings, dynamic projections, mechanical devices, and kinetic sculptures, accompanied by piano and male vocal ensembles.

A Sublime Collision of Classical and Jazz

Taiwan’s Dark Eyes Performance Lab presents “Journey into the Apocalypse,” a brand-new work that reimagines Franz Schubert’s legendary “Winterreise” from a fresh perspective. This bold reinterpretation blends the iconic art song with contemporary social issues, offering daring musical innovation that resonates with audiences from all backgrounds. Schubert’s “Winterreise” tells the story of a solitary traveler’s spiritual journey, recalling lost love and contemplating life’s meaning as he wanders without direction. 

Dark Eyes Performance Lab’s new version pays tribute to this classic while offering a powerful reflection on today’s society, probing the emotional depths of humanity as we face the threat of an impending apocalypse.

TPAC’s Super Theater Opens for 6-Hour Utopia

Polish director Łukasz Twarkowski, in collaboration with the Lithuanian National Drama Theater, brings “Respublika” to TPAC’s Super Theater for the first time. 

This groundbreaking production aims to create an experimental utopian realm. In this 6-hour immersive experience, audiences will journey through a vibrant celebration blending exhibition, performance, and installation art, and embracing absolute freedom and revelry. 

“Respublika” is a free-spirited nation complete with DJs, dance floors, kitchens, bars, saunas, trailers, and even spaceships. With the fusion of electronic music, video art, and live performance, the audience is transported into a parallel universe, where they experience an alluring fictional world of infinite possibilities.