Department of Cultural Affairs

By Psyche Cho
Staff Reporter

A new photography exhibition, City Life under the Lens—A Century of Taipei, organized by the Taipei Photography Center in Beitou and running through April 15, documents the changing landscape and lives of people in the island's capital city.

The exhibition lends viewers a glimpse of a drastically-changing Taipei, displaying more than 100 photos under 6 themes, including the changing roles of females in Taipei, portraits of artists, and urban life in the city. These works are selected from works of nearly sixty photographers in different generations.

Works from master photographers such as Deng Nan-guang, Chang Tsai and Lee Ming-tiao—the Three Musketeers to younger generations—are put together to generate interesting comparisons.

The different forms and expressions adopted by photographers demand further exploration by viewers. The elder generations convey innovative ideas while younger photographers tend to use modern techniques.

"From the techniques used in the exhibiting photos, we can see the evolution of photography in Taiwan,' noted veteran photographer Chuang Ling during the opening ceremony January 16 in Taipei.

Chuang added that the display offers visitors a good chance to think over issues related to preservation and construction during the urban renewal process. He also called for the establishment of a Taiwan Photo Museum in his comments.

"Not only construction, a city must look back in time to see what has been done and saved," said photographer Chou Ching-hui, whose photos of drag queens are among the highlights of the exhibition.

It should also be noted that some of the photos in the show have never been published before. The exhibition is complemented by several seminars on photography, providing viewers a chance to personally interact with the participating photographers.
Call 02-28979314 for further information.