【Art Appreciation on Thursdays】"The Art of Resistance" Film Festival – Exclusive Screening at Huashan Spot

By / MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Department

The "The Art of Resistance" film festival will be exclusively screened at Huashan Spot Cinema from May 23 to June 12 for three weeks. The festival features films including Anti-Security Treaty: The Art of Resistance, Playing with Pop Art, Cutie and the Boxer, and The Artist Who Swallowed the World, which reveal perspectives on individuals and social events through the lens of art, artists’ viewpoints, life experiences, and creative journeys. Among them, Anti-Security Treaty: The Art of Resistance, depicting the occupation of the National Diet and large-scale student protests, resonates strongly with recent student movements in Taiwan.

Anti-Security Treaty: The Art of Resistance
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 treaty art. They fought with art and used it to speak out to the world. At the same time, they left behind priceless works of creation.

Although the massive Japanese security treaty struggle failed to prevent the treaty from taking effect, it led to the resignation of the Kishi Nobusuke cabinet. More importantly, it completely dismantled Kishi’s plan to further amend Japan’s Peace Constitution. To ease tensions, the United States also reduced pressure on Japan to rearm. It’s surprising how similar the student movements in Japan over fifty years ago are to those happening now on the island—from the 30-second approval of the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement to students occupying the Legislative Yuan, and even the “Sunflower Student Movement Documentary Project” initiated by a group of passionate artists.

Cutie and the Boxer
Cutie and the Boxer

The internationally renowned Japanese avant-garde artist {Ushio Shinohara}, known for painting with boxing gloves, has lived a chaotic yet colorful life with his wife Noriko 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 passionate love 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 and unwilling to settle, Noriko finally found her creative direction. She transformed herself into the character “Cutie” in her artworks, while her husband became “Boxer.” She channeled 40 years of marital moments into her creations. Their passion for art clashed constantly—even leading to heated arguments over the name of their first joint exhibition. An artistic battle of love 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 them taken by his friend and was deeply impressed. After meeting the couple in person, he was inspired to make a film about them. After four years of documenting their lives, the film premiered at major festivals to great acclaim. Audiences responded with laughter, tears, and standing ovations, praising the “unseen way a couple interacts.” It was even nominated for Best Documentary at the Oscars this year.

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 “One Minute Sculptures” series. He challenges the boundaries of sculpture by involving the audience as performers in his 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 has deeply influenced him. In his creative process, “short and direct” is his belief, and using humor or comic styles is his way of finding the shortest path. This film documents the life of this globally popular contemporary artist Erwin Wurm and the birth of his delightfully humorous artworks.