Encounter That Light: The Treasure Hill Art Light Festival is Here!

Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Travel & Lifestyle Network Editorial Team

Hidden away in a corner of Taipei City, Treasure Hill shines like a light in the city, guiding people in the noisy metropolis to pursue their long-forgotten dreams and treasures. The 2016 Treasure Hill Environmental Art Light Festival, with the theme “Encounter That Light,” kicked off on February 21 and will continue for a month-long visual feast. Featuring artists from various fields, the festival is divided into three main sections: an opening event, art installations, and a series of workshops. It invites everyone to come to Treasure Hill to “encounter” a moment of beauty and discover a different kind of “that light.”

This year’s light festival exhibition features collaborations with multiple artists. Artist Li Mingdao, invited this year, showcases his classic robot artworks, creating a uniquely whimsical atmosphere in Treasure Hill. Artist Niu Junqiang presents a large-scale outdoor light installation titled “The Sunlight Here is Very Different,” where neon letters glow beautifully at night. Jiang Ji-yang, a light and shadow creator from Dadaocheng, leads the “Wadou” team to create an urban resting space using Treasure Hill’s historical background and combining it with light and shadow language. Artist Chen Yijie reinterprets anime colors, scattering tube light installations across historical fractures, like tiny stars twinkling on the ground. Artist Zheng Xianyu harnesses electricity generated by plants and microorganisms to power artificial light sources and sounds. Artist Ye Yujun attempts to present a fluorescent atmosphere artwork combining video, lighting, and graffiti within the dreams of herself and other dreamers. Artist Lin Shuyu uses thread as a medium for transmitting messages and carrying energy, shaping the interface between the real and the virtual. Resident artist Niwa Yōtarō uses everyday materials to create unexpectedly surprising results. Artist Wang Pei-tD extends her residency project to offer perspectives on Taiwan society’s issues regarding the existence and integration of “outsider” groups. The micro-cluster art teams residing in Treasure Hill also specially offer a series of workshops, enriching participants’ experiences during the festival through diverse hands-on courses.