The "Pink Power Town" in Taipei's East District showcases the artistry of everyday life

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network, reported by Chen Guanxin

 

As summer quietly slips away, readers who haven’t quite shaken off their vacation mood might want to seize the tail end of the break and explore nearby on weekends? Now in its eighth edition, the "Pink Power Town Contemporary Art Exhibition" runs from today until September 29, based on the concept of an "art gallery without walls." It takes Zhongxiao East Road, Ren'ai Road, and Fuxing South Road in Taipei City as its development areas and expands its exhibition zones to the Songshan Tobacco Factory Cultural Park. From trendy shops, boutique fashion stores, bookstores and cafes, community activity centers, roadside trees, to neighborhood fire lanes — a total of 30 spaces are showcasing art. Whether it’s a giant octopus clinging to a building, two suddenly appearing large eyes on a tree, or a huge, lifelike lotus that opens and closes, all have become hot spots for photos. Readers who haven’t seen it yet might want to take advantage of the last days of the holiday and make a pilgrimage to the East District!

This year, the outdoor exhibition area adopts a humorous atmosphere. Filthy Luker from the UK has wrapped a deep-sea octopus around the entire agnès b. café building on Da’an Road — the absolutely eye-catching “Luker the Rogue” demands your undivided attention. Suddenly, mischievous and lively eyes pop up on trees in Taipei, watching over the summer streetscape, playing with reversed perspectives in a playful way that brings smiles to passersby.

Liu Guocang, the architect behind Tainan’s “Prussian Blue Print,” brings a flying asphalt road into the bustling commercial district and also introduces the Prussian Blue Print to Taipei for the first time, recreating spatial novelty through a unique architectural perspective. In the East District’s top-tier battleground for fashion brands, the Fisse Hair Salon collaborates with two Pink Power Town artists. Qiu Yuwen uses paper-cut art to echo the designer’s theme of “cutting,” while another artist, Yang Fuqing, echoes the theme of “hair” by dyeing hair extensions to create a stunning imagination of a volcanic eruption.

This year also invites several international artists to create large-scale installation pieces. South Korea becomes the country with the highest proportion of participating artists for the first time. Internationally renowned Korean artists Kim Chang-hwan, Kim Myung-bum, Roh Dong, and Choi Jung-hwa each present massive sculptural works using various materials such as metal frameworks, soft textiles, composite plastics, and inflatable objects, weaving through Taipei’s urban spaces. Among them, the internationally acclaimed Korean artist Choi Jung-hwa, known for creating large works from brightly colored plastic ready-mades or inflatable objects, presents his piece titled “The Breathing Flower.” Invited from the Hong Kong Art Fair to Taipei, the lotus — a significant symbol in Asian culture — blooms in the heart of Taipei. Its immense size, coupled with mechanical opening and closing motions, makes it incredibly lifelike. The contrast between the natural and the artificial is full of surprises.

How fun is Pink Power Town? Janet, Jolin Tsai, Jam Hsiao, Jia Jia, Wei Bird… a collective of 20 celebrities jointly recommend it, inviting audiences to enjoy a pink summer. Not only does it surround the public with artworks, but it also plans a series of exciting fringe events. On September 11 from 14:30 to 16:00, a Pink Lucky Chicken creation workshop will be held on the 11th floor of the Fu’an Memorial Hall, where you can paint the lucky chicken from the Netherlands with your own hands, infusing it with hope and energy. On September 14, “Pink Youth Day” features a creative market and concerts. The concerts are split into two sessions: 15:40–16:40 and 17:00–21:00, held respectively at the Taipei Cultural and Creative Plaza Green Square and the Cultural Square. For event details, visit the official website: www.fubonart.org.tw/veryfunpark2013.

 

 

● Extended Reading:

Taipei Never Sleeps: 20 Wild Nightclubs (Part 2)

http://goo.gl/KkNvJO

 

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