Yayoi Kusama’s Polka Dot Ladybugs Debut at Taoyuan Land Art Festival

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The 2013 Taoyuan Land Art Festival kicked off on October 26 at Houhu Pond in Xinyi. In addition to the iconic yellow duck brought by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, the event also invited Japanese "polka dot art" master Yayoi Kusama and South Korean artist Choi Jeong-hwa, who gained international acclaim at the Venice Biennale, to jointly create five major exhibition zones. Visitors can enjoy the beauty of Taoyuan’s ponds as shaped by the "duck," "polka dots," and "lotus" artworks.

▲ Polka dot ladybug installation artwork created by Japanese art master Yayoi Kusama. (Photo provided by Taoyuan County Cultural Affairs Bureau, composite illustration)

The Taoyuan Cultural Affairs Bureau noted that the land art festival features five major themed zones: the Yellow Duck, Polka Dot Art, Lotus, Fanjiang Old Houses, and Water Lane Exhibition Area. Among them, the polka dot art by contemporary Japanese visual art master Yayoi Kusama offers an abstract postmodern aesthetic, typically only seen at major international exhibitions. The two giant lotus creations by South Korean artist Choi Jeong-hwa are also must-see works for visitors.

▲ Two large lotus installation artworks created by South Korean artist Choi Jeong-hwa. (Photo provided by Taoyuan County Cultural Affairs Bureau, composite illustration)

In addition to the international masters, Taiwanese contemporary artist Kang Ya-chu and straw weaving master Wang Yu-xiang led 350 teachers and students from elementary and middle schools across Taoyuan. Using local farmland straw as their material, they co-created the large-scale straw installation artwork "Rice in Every Facet," conveying the symbiotic relationship between humans and the environment—a piece worthy of visitors’ careful appreciation.

The art festival runs from October 26 to November 10. The city government has specially arranged free shuttle buses, operating daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the event period, departing from locations such as Taoyuan High-Speed Rail Station and Yong’an Fishing Port. The Cultural Affairs Bureau stated that the public can take this rare opportunity to visit Xinyi and experience this "art gallery without walls."

▲ The artwork "Rice in Every Facet" co-created by Taiwanese artist Kang Ya-chu and straw weaving master Wang Yu-xiang. (Photo provided by Taoyuan County Cultural Affairs Bureau)

[2013 Land Art Festival]
Date: October 26 to November 10
Location: Around the ponds in Xinyi Township, Taoyuan County
For more information, please contactthe official event websiteorthe event’s Facebook fan page