The Xin-Ying Art Zone Officially Opens with "LLJ x Little Mouse's Childhood Rhapsody"

By the MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team

The "Xin-Ying Art Exhibition and Environmental Art Installation Project" combines "long-term public art" (permanent installations) with "participatory public art creation" (phased projects such as Childhood Rhapsody), which is one of the key development features of the Xin-Ying Art Zone. This time, the theme "Childhood Rhapsody" specifically links public art with nearby campuses, inviting the well-known Taiwanese pop culture artist LLJ to create large-scale sculptures combining the classic image of a little mouse with school desks and chairs, using his signature anime aesthetic style. These works intervene in the local space, aiming to use accessible artistic expressions to enhance interaction and dialogue between public art and people’s daily lives.

The core cultural venue of the zone – the Xin-Ying Cultural Center – has invested over NT$123 million this year to renovate its performance spaces. The newly refurbished performance hall and outdoor areas were completed and opened on March 27, coinciding with the launch of the "2016 Tainan Arts Festival." Additionally, the area south of the canal is currently being discussed by the district office, local residents, and the Jia-Nan Irrigation Association to first establish a community-oriented walking path on land owned by the irrigation association.

Art Creation at the "Xin-Ying Art Zone" – Parallel Development of Artist Creations and Public Participation: The western section of the Xin-Ying Art Zone stretches from the Cultural Center through Xin-Ying High School and Nan-Xin Junior High School to Fuxing Road. Leveraging the characteristics of outdoor art such as building walls, sunlight, wind, and shade, many artworks have been developed in this area, including the “Sounds of Southern Joy” mural on the wall of the Xin-Ying Cultural Center, and the painted deer once roaming the Jia-Nan Plain. In 2014, the “Xin-Ying Art Season Art and Life Canal” emphasized the culture of the Jia-Nan Canal system and repurposed existing steel structures, featuring works such as the “Bamboo Dragonfly Dream” on large steel towers and the “Sound Canal,” which simulated natural sounds like frog croaks and grass cutting by the canal, highlighting the fun and accessibility of art.

2016 Public Art Exhibition Theme – "Childhood Rhapsody": Shared Memories vs. Canal Life Memories of Local Students: Well-known cross-disciplinary artist LLJ in Taiwan’s pop culture scene designed 19 little mice interacting with the existing steel corridors and climbing walls in the Xin-Ying Art Zone: the little mouse figurines happily stroll along the rainbow-colored steel corridor, climb on climbing walls, or hide, sit, or jump on large steel pillars, next to campuses, and at the entrance of pathways—acting like humorous and cheerful guides leading visitors through the park, adding an amusing sight for locals who walk through the area daily. The most eye-catching piece is the six-meter-tall red chair with the little mouse, realizing the artist’s vision of “presenting an extraordinary visual experience that makes viewers break free from their usual perceptions and reconsider the relationship between objects and themselves.”