15. The planned Taiwan International Artists' Village
"preview of (19)99 mountains"
In the year 2002 Taiwan will see the birth of a new artists' village.
It will be the result of a construction plan put forward by the
highest art and culture related body in the government - The Council
for Cultural Affairs Executive Yuan, Republic of China in 1991. In
1994 overall planning was begun. Overall investment will exceed NT$
1200 million (US$35 million). In 1996 land purchase, environmental
impact analysis and overall planning was completed and in 1997 a
planning office was formally established. At present the artists'
village is being designed. An open contest was held to select the
designer and, in the end, Liang & Roan Architects were chosen the
designer for the whole project. The village will be situated at the
heart of Taiwan near Tsaotun Township in Nantou County. It will cover
an area of 29 hectares. 5% of this area will be covered by buildings,
40% by landscaping-trees, gardens, ponds and lawns, 40% will be
preserved woodland and the remainder used for roads and car parks.
The environs are very attractive and water and air quality excellent,
which will make the village an ideal place for artists to work. It is
about 220 km from Taipei, or about 3 hours on the highway. From CKS
International Airport it will take about 2 hours to the village. It
is only 40 km away from Taichung City.
Taiwan's economy has grown steadily over the last few decades.
Commerce has developed and Contemporary Art has also grown strongly.
The artists' village represents a major investment by the government
to provide Taiwan's artists with a space for creativity and exchange.
It will be Taiwan's first large-scale artists' village. It is hoped
that more Taiwan local government and private enterprise sponsorship
will follow and more artist's studios can be built.
The main objectives and function of the artists' village are to
nurture Taiwan's art talent, promote art education and international
art exchange, provide a world class specialized in creative space and
develop an experimental, forward-looking art center. In the early
stages it will mainly focus on visual art forms like painting,
sculpture, plate printing, ceramics and mixed materials etc. and then
will later introduce literature, music, drama and dance.
Taiwan International Artists' Village, Planning Office
19-1 Chinhwa Street, Taipei, Taiwan 100, e-mail: ccaart@ms4.hinet.net
presmell:
if you cannot buy the 99 mountains, then buy cigarettes and a
lighter, go deep into the dry forest and offer them to the other
visitors you are meeting; if they don't want try to seduce them
smoking !
if you do not have over a wild tiger at home to be brought to the
forest to let him free there, be(have like) a dragon by yourself !
So read the following "gracenote":
"sound-check"
(pre-tone)
According to the 4 tones in the Mandarin language and to the 5
continents
just one sound is recorded at each of 4 other artist-in-residence-
places all around the world:
Africa: Paa Ya Paa Arts Centre Nairobi ; America: P.S.1 New York;
Australia: 200 Gertrude Street Victoria; Europe: DAAD Berlin
these tones (for example the noise of a working sculptor) are
implanted and installed in the town of Tsaotun, on the bridge and on
the islands of the street leading to the planned artists' village and
in the forest of the 99 mountains
and thus mixed with the local Asian soundboard;
everybody can just picture it to himself, listen and decide whether
this sounds well or not.
As you know from medicine or western movies, some things can be heard
first before seen !
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