1900s | Drawing introduced in Taiwan’s education system
1910s | Liu Chin-Tang, Huang Tu-Shui among the first-generation Taiwanese artists to study abroad
1920s | Tan Ting-Pho’s oil painting featured in Japan’s Empire Art Exhibition, First edition of Taiwanese Fine Art Exhibition
1930s | Establishment of Tai-Yang Art Association
1940s | Kuomintang (KMT) of the Republic of China (ROC) government took control of Taiwan
1950s | Establishment of the Fifth Moon Group and Dongfang Art Group
1960s | First Taiwanese artist Richard Lin featured in Documenta
1970s | Formulation of gallery industry in Taiwan
No art museums in Taiwan, yet.
The notion of “fine art” was introduced to Japan from the West during the Meiji Period. The term “美術 (bijutsu)” was created to translate “art” and “美術館 (bijutsukan) ” to represent museums that house artworks. Although Taiwan subsequently adopted the translated vocabularies, it had no art museums of its own. Not long after Japanese Colonization, the new Kuomintang (KMT) government brought along precious artifacts and imperial treasures from China that made up the National Palace Museum, a museum of ancient art and antiquities. At the time, the National History Museum and National Taiwan Museum hosted art exhibitions occasionally, but were essentially history, natural history, and anthropological institutions. With no designated spaces to showcase their work, practicing artists presented at makeshift exhibition spaces such as the United States Information Agency, Zhongshan Hall, banks, cafés, and private apartments. For a nation devoting nearly 50% of its annual budget to military expenditure, construction of an art museum was simply not a priority.
In the mid 1970s, the Taipei City Government proposed a plan to construct a modern museum in response to calls from the arts community. But the choice of word “modern” prompted heated debates. Modernization occurred relatively late in Chinese-speaking countries, and Modern Period (1860s-1970s) defined by the West did not align with the evolutionary timeline of Taiwanese art. Also, the terms “modern” and “contemporary” seemed interchangeable to many art practitioners. Around this time, the central government announced the 12 Major Constructions Program, and cultural institutions were among other major facilities to be constructed. Although it was unclear whether art museums were included in the central government’s cultural plan, the Taipei City Government took the initiative and decided to build an art museum. The former headquarter of the United States Taiwan Defense Command became the site for Taipei Fine Art Museum (TFAM), a name finalized to avoid the semantic confusion between the words “modern” and “contemporary. “
TFAM was inaugurated in 1983 as the first art museum in Taiwan. With a mission to represent art and artists emerging from the post-war ROC era, the museum faced some fundamental challenges. Jiang Fucong, the then director of the National Palace Museum, believed that modern art originated from the West and should be promoted in its authentic form. He publicly urged TFAM to acquire one to two Western painting masterpieces per year, and to actively seek loans from Euro-American exhibitions. Another challenge was the lack of management expertise. Although praised as the largest institution of its kind in Southeast Asia at the time, TFAM had no budget planning capability, and no civil servant recruitment mechanism nor alternative hiring channels set up for administrative positions. Personal expenses were even accidentally omitted from the budget plan at one point. Moreover, TFAM’s first programs were poorly curated, with amateur exhibitions showcasing floral arrangements put on view. It took some time before TFAM finally found its voice.
More museums were constructed as the economy began to grow in Taiwan. Taiwan Museum of Art (later renamed National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, NTMoFA) and Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (KMFA) were established in 1988 and 1994. TFAM, NTMoFA, and KMFA have developed plans to enhance public understanding of modern and contemporary art in Taiwan and the world. They share similar acquisition tendencies, collecting mainly traditional ink paintings, oil paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs, mixed-media pieces, and ceramics from the 20th century onwards. KMFA has also included contemporary art from the indigenous and Austronesian communities in its collection.
Art museums serve not only the public but also the arts community. TFAM, NTMoFA, and KMFA host annual art competitions with monetary prizes – Taipei Art Awards, National Art Exhibition, and Kaohsiung Art Awards – to encourage emerging artists. TFAM and NTMoFA are also responsible for the execution of the Taiwan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale and the Biennale Architettura respectively. By the end of the 20th century, TFAM was looking to expand to a second location. Although the expansion was put on hold, two new museums were built in Taipei by the Taipei City Government: the Museum of Contemporary Art and Taipei Digital Art Center, both collection-less, became flexible sites featuring programs that reflect current art trends.
Meanwhile, museum and curatorial professionals began to enter the workforce after receiving advanced training in art history, art management, curatorial practice, and museology from over twenty universities in Taiwan. They have served in public art museums, university art museums (Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of National Taipei University of Education, Asia Museum of Modern Art, etc.), and private art museums (Juming Museum, Yu-Hsiu Museum of Art, etc.) until today. No longer neglected by the government, art museums and other cultural institutions are now popular campaign promises to solicit voter support in local elections. Cities such as New Taipei City, Tainan, and Taoyuan have incorporated museums, designed by internationally-renowned architects, into their city planning manifesto. Thirty-six years have passed since Taiwan’s first art museum was built, and the museum sector is heading towards a more diverse and professional direction, performing better than before.
In 2018 the Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-Lab) was established in the former headquarter of Air Force Command. Another military base turned into a cultural hub, C-Lab’s site-specificity resonates with TFAM’s founding history. It, however, emphasizes the importance of experimentation and processes as opposed to finished, collectible artwork. Its focus on discovery, experiments, and innovation compliments TFAM’s attention on art objects and education, indicating a cultural environment capable of nurturing more multifaceted practices under Taiwan’s evolving arts and cultural policies.
黃心蓉（Patricia H. Huang）( 49篇 )