Department of Cultural Affairs

By Psyche Cho
Staff Reporter

The Taipei Lantern Festival-Public Art of Taipei for 2011 was unveiled February 12 as a 3D show lit up the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), highlighting an assortment of artistic lantern installations throughout the downtown area.

Developed under the umbrella theme of ‘light up the city’, the assortment of lantern installations is designed to light up the capital, says Hsieh Hsiao-yun, Commissioner of Department of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City Government.

According to Hsieh, to fulfill the idea of lifestyle aesthetics and to cultivate an identity toward local culture, this year’s programs have been carried out within the community, reviving the sense of attachment felt among people in ancient times.

To get close to residents, a number of festival activities, from visual art to concerts, will be available during the celebration whether you live in the southern or northern part of the city.

Walking through the district where MOCA sits, the neighborhood of Jhongshan MRT Station, and all the way to the Red House in Ximending, citizens will see artists’ brainchildren—lanterns of every shape and design, echoing the theme of ‘Bling Bling, Let the Lights Shine’ for the northern part.

In the other direction, a gentle one-eared rabbit, Bow Bunny, invites the public to join the ‘2011 Rabbit Year Taipei Lantern Festival’. Artists in Treasure Hill Artist Village and Taipei Artist Village have prepared a number of activities including strolls with radish-shaped lanterns, an open studios project, exhibitions and workshops.

Many different programs will be available until February 20, please visit http://www.2011taipei-palantern.culture.gov.tw/index.html for more information.