【Thursday Arts Appreciation】Exclusive Screening of "Art War" Film Festival at Huashan Spot

By / MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Department

The "Art War" film festival will be exclusively screened at Huashan Spot Film Gallery from May 23 to June 12 for three weeks. The festival includes films such as Anti-Security Treaty: Art War, Playing with Pop Art, Cutie and the Boxer, and The Artist Who Swallowed the World. Through the perspectives of art, artists, life experiences, and creative journeys, these films reveal viewpoints on individuals and social events. Among them, Anti-Security Treaty: Art War captures the occupation of the National Diet and large-scale student protests, which resonate with recent student movements in Taiwan.

Anti-Security Treaty: Art War
ANPO: Art X War

A group of passionate artists—including renowned Japanese painters, photographers, and even film directors—used their artistic creations to take action, expressing protest and dissatisfaction. This formed a unique trend of anti-security art, where they fought with art and voiced their messages to the world. They also left behind invaluable works of creation.

Although the massive Japanese security struggle did not prevent the treaty from taking effect, it led to the resignation of the Kishi Nobusuke cabinet. More importantly, it completely dismantled Kishi’s plans to further amend Japan’s pacifist constitution. To ease tensions, the United States also reduced pressure on Japan to rearm. It’s astonishing how similar the student movements in Japan over fifty years ago are to those currently happening on the island—from the 30-second approval of the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement, to students occupying the Legislative Yuan, and even to the “Sunflower Student Movement Documentary Project” initiated by a group of passionate artists.

Cutie and the Boxer
Cutie and the Boxer

The world-renowned Japanese avant-garde artist {Ushio Shinohara}, known for painting with boxing gloves, and his wife Noriko have lived a chaotic yet colorful life in New York for nearly 40 years. Noriko moved to New York at 19 to study and married her husband, who was 21 years her senior. Her intense romance led her to skip classes and eventually get expelled from school, angering her family so much that they stopped sending her living expenses. Now nearing 60, Noriko refuses to settle and has finally found her creative direction. She transforms herself into the character “Cutie” in her artwork, while her husband Ushio becomes “Bull.” She pours out 40 years of marital experiences through her creations. Their passion for art is unmatched, even leading to heated arguments over the name of their first joint exhibition. An artistic love battle is about to unfold.

"Cutie and the Boxer" is the first documentary directed by Zachary Heinzerling. The project began five years ago when he was invited by a producer friend to visit Ushio and Noriko’s home. He had already seen many photos of the couple taken by his friend and was deeply impressed. After meeting them in person, he decided to make a film about them. After four years of documenting their lives, the film premiered at major festivals, earning laughter, tears, and standing ovations with audiences describing it as “a relationship unlike any other.” It was even nominated for Best Documentary at this year’s Oscars.

The Artist Who Swallowed the World
ERWIN WURM - THE ARTIST WHO SWALLOWED THE WORLD

Austrian sculptor Erwin Wurm is one of the world’s top 20 contemporary artists, best known for his globally renowned series “One Minute Sculptures.” He challenges the boundaries of sculpture by involving the audience as participants in the artworks: an ordinary person sticking out their tongue, a woman lying on the sidewalk, or even a bank manager inserting a bamboo shoot into their nose...

“Finding shortcuts is the most important thing in this world,” says Erwin Wurm, quoting a phrase that deeply influenced him. In his creative process, “short and direct” is his belief. Using humor or comic styles is his way of finding the shortest path. This film documents the life of this globally acclaimed contemporary artist Erwin Wurm and the humorous birth process of his delightful works.