Million-dollar artworks scarred with 70cm-long gashes – Taichung’s “3D Art by Tulon” left battered

▲ The “3D Art by Tulon” exhibition at Taichung’s Yimin First Central Business District has been left scarred after less than two weeks on display. (Photo / Provided by Tulon)

Travel Desk / Comprehensive report

Heartbreaking sight: The “3D Art by Tulon” exhibition currently on display in Taichung has been on show for just over 10 days, but due to visitors ignoring the rules—walking on the paintings with shoes and even bringing bags for photos—“3D gashed footprint art”has resulted, leaving the organizers devastated and pleading: “Please follow the exhibition rules and take care of the artworks!”

Su Jiaxian (pen name: Tulon), Taiwan’s first 3D spray-painting artist, launched the free exhibition of his four large, playful artworks at Taichung’s Yimin First Central Business District on June 20. Using color shifts and perspective techniques such as object distortion, he transforms 2D images into immersive 3D scenes. By finding the right angle, anyone can step right into the artwork. Since its launch, this fun public art installation has attracted over 10,000 visitors.

To allow visitors to take their own quirky photos with the artworks, the rules are simple: no shoes and no personal belongings. But now, less than two weeks into the exhibition, the organizers have found multiple scratches of varying lengths on each piece.Take “Shark Under the Waterfall,” for example—scratches have appeared on the small boat and along the edges of the stone wall, with the longest one stretching nearly 70cm. Other works also bear several black footprints, leaving the organizers deeply saddened.。

▲ To take photos inside the artworks, remember to remove your shoes and leave your bags behind to avoid damaging the paintings. (Photo / From the Facebook page of the Taichung Yimin Tulon 3D Art Exhibition)

The organizers explained that all the displayed pieces are originals, each worth at least NT$2–3 million. Previous exhibitions, whether in Taiwan or abroad, were held indoors without incident. This is the first time the works have been displayed outdoors for free. Accessories and bag hardware such as buckles and zippers can easily damage the art, which is why visitors are asked not to bring anything inside. Although staff are stationed nearby, they aren’t on duty 24/7, and the barriers around the artworks are low, making it easy for people to climb over. As a result, the team has to clean up the pieces every morning.

Seeing yet another outdoor art exhibit—the previous one being the hundred teddy bears displayed on Taichung streets—damaged, many members of the public are calling for greater public awareness and care for these rare and valuable artworks. To maintain photo quality for visitors and serve more guests, the organizers of the “3D Art by Tulon” exhibition say they will adjust the visiting hours: weekdays from 2pm to 7pm, and weekends from 10am to 8pm. Plans for repairing the damaged artworks will be discussed further with Artist Tulon.