Department of Cultural Affairs

Design Concept
Text: Ching-Ling Han
The word “residency” refers to a professional opportunity for an artist or a form of recognition. Participating in an artist-in-residence program can bolster an artist’s CV. The verb “reside” suggests living somewhere to gather and feel, to choose to face or to escape after experiencing the unknown, and to decide to keep something or to leave everything behind. The adjective “residing” describes the imagination VERB-ing toward a space, site, or city. When virtuality replaces reality, how would we account for the ways of “residency” in terms of different parts of speech?
At this moment in 2021, a standard operating procedure has been established to handle the chaos caused by the pandemic. Throughout history, artists have put together and experienced the traces of reconnaissance through the constant pursuit of equality, social observation, questioning, and self-identification. During the pandemic, artist residencies are prevented by the global chaos, departed connections, and base disappearance. When artist residency suggests an exploration in an encouraging and friendly environment, has the boundary between virtuality and reality been deconstructed? When artist residency represents the realization of glocalization and logloblization, will mobility with physical engagement have become irreplaceable?
The year 2021 marks the 20th year of the Artist-in-Residence program at the Taiwan Artist Village (TAV), which provides two residencies and works with artist residency institutions around the world to organize exchanges and fieldwork between Taiwanese and overseas artists.
The TAV opened on October 12, 2001, as part of a program to reuse idle space. It was set up by the Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs (DOCA) at 7 Beiping East Road, in a building formerly housing the Maintenance Office. The TAV was conceived as a space where artists can live and create. By combining the characteristics of Taipei City with the artist-in-residence program, the DOCA aims to promote interaction and exchange between Taiwanese and overseas artists and local groups to spur on multicultural urban development. Over the last two decades, over 500 Taiwanese and foreign artists have resided in the TAV, and nearly 100 Taiwanese artists have gone overseas.
The TAV will be relocated to south Taipei in 2023. In the meantime, the DOCA is trying to figure out how to reform and redefine artist residency during the 2021–2023 period. A series of exhibitions, talks, and other events will bring past artists-in-residence and professionals from Taiwanese and overseas artist residency organizations to express their opinions on the role of the TAV in terms of the city, artists, and the art ecosystem. In this exploration of the organization’s values and raison d’être, there may be no definitive answer but there will certainly be traces.
 
Artists (in the order of their works)
Chen I-Hsuen
Chou Shu-Yi
Chen Shiau-Peng
Wu Chien-Yi
Ni Hao
 
 
Art Director: Li Hsiao-Wen
Dates: 30 October–28 November
 
Serial Events
 
Inaugural Tea Party
Venue: Recreation Room
Times: 3 pm, Saturday 30 October
 
Bench Talk
Venue: Recreation Room
Times: 1 pm–3 pm & 4 pm–6 pm, Saturday 20 November & Sunday 21 November
 
Webcast on Facebook & YouTube