New Season will be start from May TAAC House 7B, Nolan Park, Governors Island.
The Taiwanese American Arts Council, for the second year in a row, was selected to be one of 29 New York City Art Non-Profit organizations in residence from May 10 to November 3rd, 2024. It carefully arranged artist studios, exhibitions, performance, workshops, tours and talks. Governors Island in 2024 had over 800,000 visitors. From May to October there were over 700,000. With the theme From Island to Island and Connecting islands, TAAC commemorated the 10th anniversary of Taiwan’s Sunflower Movement, also paying tribute to the 10-year anniversary of TAAC’s founding. “Island Sunrise” was the song created to symbolize the Sunflower Movement and the courage of those on the frontline, also to present the positive energy of TAAC supporters. This name was chosen to be the program title for 2024 TAAC house 7b programs.
The TAAC team arranged for more than 40 multi-disciplinary artists to create exquisite art work and striking performances in their studios and to show in the exhibitions.
Island Sunrise captures the optimism of new beginnings on islands and illustrates the theme of “Connecting Islands.” It embodies the spirit of voyages between islands, such as the journey from Taiwan to Governors Island. In it, artists explored various historical contexts of island life. Island Sunrise begins by examining five youth-led movements in “Peoples’ Movements: Sunflower 10th Anniversary,” showcasing the art of 11 artists and one art collective. From June to the end of October, House 7B featured various exhibitions, installations, and events from a diverse range of artists in studio residency each month. This dynamic program, with periodically changing exhibitions, presented different perspectives on art as it relates to life on an island. A selection of art from “Peoples’ Movements: Sunflower 10th Anniversary” was be on display in House 7B until the end of October, commemorating Island Sunrise and influencing all other exhibitions held there.
2024 Three Generation of Taiwanese New Media Artists
For two consecutive years, the Taiwanese American Arts Council (TAAC) has been selected as a residency and performance unit on Governors Island in New York. As the only Asian organization to receive this honor either year, TAAC is the most important nonprofit organization in the Eastern U.S., and possibly the entire country, promoting Taiwanese-American artistic exchanges. In just these two years, TAAC has exhibited the work of over 100 Taiwanese and international artists and performers, capturing the attention of global visitors through marathon-style exhibitions and performances.
Starting in the summer of 2024, three academic generations of Taiwanese artists working in new media and technology art have been arranged to exhibit at Governors Island's "TAAC House 7b."
Taiwanese artists have thus been able to showcase their work in New York, the world’s art capital. The number of Taiwanese creators in this year’s artist lineup has significantly increased. Among them is Lin Pey-Chwen, the first Asian artist to win the prestigious "New Media Art" global grand prize at the 2019 Florence Biennale. Known as a pioneer of digital art in Taiwan, Lin has been creating art for over 40 years. Between Mountains and Seas is an outdoor LED installation by Hu Chin-Hsiang and the Kurokawa Interactive Multimedia Team, under Lin Pey-Chwen's guidance. The young artist Chuang Ching-Yi, mentored by Lin's students, and artist Yang Chun-Kai. who has a background in architecture, collaborated to create a dynamic projection of Taiwan's industrial map, depicting Taiwan as a leading global technology island. The other exhibited works link the history, culture, and geography of Governors Island and Taiwan, while reflecting current global cultural trends. The meticulously curated interdisciplinary art display by TAAC has become one of the most distinguished and notable among the 29 residency organizations on the island.
Below is a partial list of contemporary art (exhibitions both group and solo, special projects, performances, dance, music, and more both indoors and outdoors) on view at the TAAC house in Governors Island in 2024 and organized by the Taiwanese American Arts Council. Artists and titles are specified for each project, the latter being in boldface.
Peoples’ Movements: Sunflower Movement 10th Anniversary (人民的運動：太陽花十周年) held in two venues:
I. TENRI Cultural Institute:
• Exhibition Dates: March 15 to April 15, 2024
• Opening reception: 6 – 8 pm March 15, 2024
• Curator and artist talks: Thursday March 21 1-4pm
• Seminar: Saturday March 30
II. House 7b, Nolan Park on Governors Island
Governors Island Programs
1. 5/10 - 6/9 Peoples’ Movements II: Sunflower 10th Anniversary
Opening reception Saturday May 18, 2-5pm
• Artist talks and exhibition tours.
• Cello Performance by Shu-Wei Tseng
• Performance by María Verónica San Martin
• Outdoor installations: Chin-Chih Yang, Atu Ram.
• Conceptual Performance: Chin Chih Yang
• Back room: documentary film by Gao Yuan on Douglas Stevenson in houde7B
Saturday, June 1st, The Power of Art for Peace and Social Impact
• Presentation: The Power of Art for Peace and Social Impact by Wei-Hsuan Chen
• Art Workshop by Artist Shih-Pao Lin.
• Art Sharing
• Talk: Once Upon a Time, the Animals of Governors Island
• artist talks with exhibition tours, open studios
2. June 14 – July 14 Two solo and special projects
Opening reception: Saturday June 15, 2-5pm
• Room 1: Huey-Min Chuang Cosmos Dreaming
• Room 2: Kevork Mourad From Here to There
• Room 3: Chia-Hsuan Kuo Longing for Home
• Outdoor installation: Atu Ram, Chin-Chih Yang
• Special project: Connecting Taiwan Hsinchu and NYC by Li-Hsiang Huang
• Special Project: Maria Verónica San Martin, Dignidad, Memory and Landscape: Unveiling the Historic Truth of Chile
• Video: Island Sunrise team videos, Gao Yuan documentary about Douglas Stevenson and his occupancy of house7B
• Back room: Sunflower Movement and other peoples’ movements around 2014 - namely Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement, the Arab Spring, the Chilean Winter and Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity
3. July 19 – August 11 Two solo exhibitions and special project:
Opening reception Saturday July 20, 2-5pm
• Room1: Pey-Chwen Lin solo exhibition: Interactive “Eve Clone Babel I”, AR project, and Wannsee Conference AI project
• Room 2: Kevork Mourad City Gate installation and video projection.
• Room 2: Ching-Yi Chuang & Chun-Kai Yang, a special mapping projection Gigantic Taiwan mobile Platform: Toward the path of Freedom
• Hallway Special Project: Yu-Jei Yen: Sitting on the Unsettling: innovative fiber art
• Room 3: Chia-Hsuan Kuo Longing for Home ceramic sculpture series
• Backroom: selected works from Peoples Movements
• Porch installation: Gordian Knots by Chin-Chih Yang
• Outdoor installation: Jade Mountain by Chin-Chih Yang
• Chin-Hsiang Hu/Peppercorns: Between Mountains and Seas a large-scale transparent outdoor new media installation.
• Outdoor planting sculptural installation What and How are We Growing by Atu Ram
• Open Studio artists: Ching-Yi Chuang, Chun-Kai Yang, Ching-Hsiang Hu/Peppercorns, Chin-Chih Yang, Carle Shi, Huey-Min Chuang, Eun Young Choi, Ping-Hsin Chu, Chia-Hsuan Kuo, Gracy Wen, Atu Ram, Yung-Chieh Kao
4. August 16 – October 31 [House Fest: August 16, 17, 18] Thematic exhibition: Connecting Islands by all artists with studios in house 7b, replace some projects on September 16 after House Fest.
Opening reception: Saturday August 17 2-5pm
Special Projects:
• “Pagganck 1624-2024” created by Wen-Jen Deng was an innovative fiber art piece, using embroidery and indigo to depict Governors Island landscape and history.
• “Kuchapongone 1300-1980-2009” The artist used Indigo, Kuletu dyeing, burlap bag, ramie, linen, cotton thread, Cross stitch, and embroidery to enrich her creation by integrating history, myths, legends, and ethnic migration paths into tapestry and map art.
Room one:
• Corner by Ching-Yi Chuang & Jun-Kai Yang was an animation and video mapping merged with drawing and sculpture that reflected the land guardians in Taiwan and Governors Island.
• A Home Full of Stories series, by Pin-Hsin Chiu, was a group of ceramics and prints which explored the intricate dynamics between children and adults from artist emotions.
• Eve Clone documentation AR series, by artist Pey-Chwen Lin, after DaVinci’s Vitruvian man, showed images of Eve Clone’s head and hands that revealed how new technology brings humans to a new civilization and the end of the world.
Room two:
• Rebirth by artist Shih Pao Lin, a 7-foot-high sculpture from recycled materials from Ukraine to dramatized the War there and its inhumanities
• Classic Century by artist Carle Shi was a pair of large oil on-canvas paintings They showed an AI-powered robot and a human relaxing in Nature and the environment – a pairing that unveiled both a controversy and a harmony
• Fade, by Gracy Wen, was a mixed media set release nostalgia for hometown coral under the water.
Room 3:
• Kawaii Boba Butterflies, was a site-specific Installation and interactive performance by Secret Garden filled with Kawaii Pet art group Tzu-an Ko and Yin-Chen Chen
• Open Studio artists: Eun Young Choi, Huey-Min Chuang, Chueh Chiao-Han
HOUSE FEST PERFORMANCE:
• Membrane was an interactive dance by Yung-Chieh Kao. The performer was on the turf outside and used performance to guide the audience into house 7B. After audience interaction, she ended the performance by guiding the audience to the turf area outside.
• 123 Pollution Solution was a workshop led by Chin-Chih Yang using recycled materials.
• Parade on your Rain was a workshop and performance, led by Rhonda Weppler & Trevor Mahovsky,
• Concert by Rad Jet: 8-piece band
• Moving Memorials: Performance by María Verónica San Martín,
• Kawaii Boba Butterflies: an installation and interactive performance Tzu-an Ko and Yin-Chen Chen of by Secret Garden with Kawaii Pets art group
OUTDOOR ART PIECES:
• Between Mountains and Seas, by Chin-Hsiang Hu / Peppercorns Interactive new Media Art team . A large new media works with sound and light to connect NYC and Taiwan history
• Ching-Ke Lin Bamboo, by Ching-Ke Lin, a porch bamboo Sunflower flower installation
• 123 Pollution Solution by Chin-Chih Yang installation piece from Governors Island recycle materials. It symbolized Mt Jade, the highest mountain of Taiwan.
• Where and What are we Growing up a plantation sculptural installation to commemorate the life of Bernado Palombo, composer, musician, and founder of El Taller Latino Americano
5. September 20 – November 3
Reception: Saturday September 21 2-5pm
• Halloween Pumpkin Picking days performance & closing party (October 29-31)
INDOOR EXHIBITION
Special Project:
• “Pagganck 1624-2024”, created by Wen-Jen Deng, an embroidery indigo innovative fiber art piece, which depicted Governors Island landscape and history.
• “Kuchapongone 1300-1980-2009”, created by Wen-Jen Deng, Indigo, Kuletu dyeing, burlap bag, ramie, linen, cotton thread, and cross stitch embroidery are combined by the artist to integrate history, myths, legends, and ethnic migration paths into tapestry and map art.
• A Hall way Site-Specific installation by artist Ming-Jer Kuo
Room one:
• Corner by Ching-Yi Chuang & Jun-Kai Yang, an animation, video mapping merge with the drawing and sculpture that reflect the land spirit guardian in Taiwan and Governors Island.
• A Home Full of Stories series, by Pin-Hsin Chiu, a group of ceramics and prints with intricate dynamics between children and adults.
• Fade, by Gracy Wen, a mixed media set about the missing hometown coral under the water.
• Kawaii Boba Butterflies, Site-Specific Installation and interactive performance by Tzu-an Ko and Yin-Chen Chen of Secret Garden filled with Kawaii Pet art group
• The Black Earth by Yin-Chen Chen, a series of seven works Ink on paper digital printmaking.
Room two:
• Classic Century by artist Carle Shi, Dual large oil on Canvas painting. A robot and human nature with the environment that reveals a controversy and harmony
• Spatiotemporal Invaders by artist Jeremiah Teipen was a multichannel site-specific video projection. It was a metaphor for our relationship to complex systems, biological or digital.
Room Three:
• Rebirth by artist Shih Pao Lin, a 7-foot-high sculpture from Ukraine, made of recycled materials to express the horrors of War and the humanity that may be found there
• Home, A 60-inch ceramic sculpture, and Longing for Home which was ceramic sculpture by Chia-Hsuan Kuo
• Back Room: Selected pieces from May’s Sunflower Movement exhibition, Gordian Knots by Chin-Chih Yang
2ND FLOOR
• Making of Eve Clone Documentation I - AR series, Hand and head by artist Pey-Chwen Lin, after DaVinci’s Vitruvian man showing Eve Clone and revealing how new technology brings humanity to a new civilization and at the same to the end.
• Eve Clone Wannsee and Eve Clone Babel I by Pey-Chwen Lin. The artist picked 28 world celebrities and merged the faces with the image of Eve Clone. They are talking in different languages at the same time, and thus are unintelligible.
• Bonds, Dihedrals, Torsions, by Eun Young Choi was formed from hand cut polyester film, nails, and pins.
• Site specific installation, dimensions variable
• I love you more, acrylic on canvas painting by Huey-Min Chuang
• Atu Ram, various paintings
• Fearless Girl, the Birth of Hope by Huey-Min Chuang, expressed how art can connect, inspire, bridge common grounds and provide a vessel of possibilities when there are differences.
Open Studio artists: Chueh Chiao-Han, Huey-Min Chuang, Pin-Hsin Chu, Gracy Wen, John Chia-Hsuan Kuo, Atu Ram
OUTDOOR ART PIECES
• Between Mountains and Seas, by Chin-Hsiang Hu / Peppercorns Interactive New Media Art team was a large new media work with sound and light to connect NYC’s and Taiwan’s history
• Ching-Ke Lin Bamboo, by Ching-Ke Lin, a porch bamboo cloud sunflower flower installation, extending to house 8a.
• 123 Pollution Solution by Chin-Chih Yang installation piece from Governors Island recycled materials. It symbolized Mt Jade, the highest mountain of Taiwan.
• Care for Water by Atu Ram, a plantation sculptural installation to commemorate the composer Benardo Palombo - composer, musician, and founder of El Taller Latino Americano
• Gordian Knots, by Chin-Chih Yang
Performance and workshop
• Traces performance led by Bipasha Hayat.
In this performance, Bipasha Hayat makes marks on the stone as a visual representation of the marks created by humanity throughout time.
October 27 (a Saturday and a Pumpkin picking day) saw over 15000 visitors
• Parade on Your Rain was a workshop and performance led by Rhonda Weppler & Trevor Mahovsky
This all-ages drop-in workshop invited participants to experiment with and make instruments mimicking the sound of a rain storm. Attendees performed a makeshift rain parade traveling around Nolan Park.
