Hidden Edition of Taichung Green Circle Art Festival: Studios of 5 Artists Hiding on the 7th Floor of a Mall

▲ On the 7th floor of Park Lane by CMP Mall, tucked away in an area usually off-limits to the public, are five artists who interact with visitors.

Reported and photographed by You t-r / Taichung

The Taichung Green Circle Art Festival officially kicked off on July 15. In addition to open spaces such as the Chi Mu Art Museum, Eslite Spectrum Green Park Boulevard, and Park Lane by CMP Mall, there are actually mysterious hidden spaces waiting to be explored. On the 7th floor of Park Lane by CMP Mall, tucked away in an area usually off-limits to the public, are five artists who interact with visitors. Travelers can now step directly into their creative spaces and witness the behind-the-scenes process of art creation.

Named“Chi Mu Cultural and Creative Village LAB: In Search of Lab #5/7”, this artistic space transforms approximately 100 pyeong (about 3,300 square feet) of mall space into Taiwan’s first long-term cultural and creative hub dedicated to art and design. In addition to interactive areas, the space also provides a studio for resident artists to create. During the Taichung Green Circle Art Festival, visitors can engage in real, hands-on experiences with artists in fields such as music, painting, installation design, illustration, and video production.

% Home base for the artists’ workspaces.


1. Liu Senyong
Focusing primarily on photography, Liu Senyong employs a highly fantastical photographic style. Throughout the mall, visitors can find many photographic works that blend products into surreal scenes. Liu says his work is mostly commercial, but his creative imaging involves transforming statues into lifelike scenes. Also, because his family is involved in landscaping and plants, he often incorporates botanical elements into his images. During the art festival, he will take portraits for visitors and replace the small figures in his photos with them, adding a more interactive element to his art.


▲ % Liu Senyong’s works on display feature a unique style blending products with the surrounding environment.




2. You Canbin
In his first collaboration with the Chi Mu Art Museum, You Canbin transforms songs into novels, then materializes the content of those novels into strips of paper displayed throughout his studio space. Stepping inside feels like entering the scene of a novel—or even a dream. Here, you’ll find short films made for the novels as well as You Canbin’s own short stories.


▲ % You Canbin’s works turn songs into novels, then into visual displays.


% Various exhibits are on display within the studio space.


3. Protest Design Studio
Conceived by two schoolmates who wanted to reimagine their graduation project titled “Protest,” the egg-shaped mascot symbolizes society’s desires and cries—things people want to protest about concerning family, friends, and more. Because the word “protest” has been overused, they combined everyday sticky notes with character designs to create the protest figure. The egg shape represents eggs thrown during public protests, symbolizing the idea of “fighting a losing battle.” The project was previously launched on a crowdfunding platform and received an overwhelming response from netizens.


▲ % The designers reimagined their graduation project “Protest,” with the egg-shaped figure symbolizing societal cries.




4. Chang Tzu-ching
Inspired by the birth of her son, Chang Tzu-ching came up with the concept of “foot mold casting.” Through parent-child interaction, she records the shapes of each other’s hands and feet. She also creates warm, hand-drawn meals and artworks—for example, in one piece, participants choose what they consider to be a “happy color” and freely paint on paper. The resulting collective doodles become a beautiful art exhibition.


▲ % Chang Tzu-ching’s project “Foot Mold Casting” invites interaction with visitors.


5.Balboss& Stories
Balboss, hailing from Dajia, began his illustrations with his hometown as the subject, portraying how young people perceive the “Mazu circumambulation” event. “Mazu is like a fair—you’ll see every kind of vehicle you can imagine in your lifetime.” Various vehicle types appear, which is why Balboss documented them. His illustrations will also be compiled into a book, and he is turning some of them into stage performances for theater audiences.


▲ % Balboss, from Dajia, began his illustrations with scenes from his hometown.




2016 Green Circle Flip Action Ready Go—"Chi Mu Cultural and Creative Village LAB"
Time: July 15 (Fri) – September 4 (Sun); Tue–Thu 14:00–20:00, Fri–Sat 12:00–20:00
Location: 7F, Park Lane by CMP Mall (7F, No. 1049, Jianxing Rd., West District, Taichung City)
Inquiry: 0800-266-155