What is "Expression for Living Together"? The October 2026 issue of "Bijutsu Techo" features a special on "Taiwan's Contemporary Art".
The October 2026 issue of Bijutsu Techo presents a special feature on Taiwan's contemporary art, exploring its history, current state, and Japan-Taiwan relations.Summary
This article introduces the special feature "Taiwan's Contemporary Art" in the October 2026 issue of the Japanese art magazine Bijutsu Techo. Taiwan has a layered history shaped by indigenous cultures, influences from the West and China, and 50 years of Japanese rule. Despite harsh post-war periods like the White Terror, its society has continually renewed itself, achieving democratization since the late 1980s and, notably, becoming the first in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage in 2019. Against this backdrop, Taiwanese artists are actively exploring themes such as post-colonialism, geopolitics, and diverse ethnicities, leading to a boom in new museums and art festivals. The special feature includes roundtable discussions with experts, interviews with key figures, historical articles, and columns to shed light on multiple facets of Taiwan's contemporary art scene. It also examines the impact of past Japanese colonial rule on Taiwan's society and art, and how Taiwan engages with that memory and the process of "decolonization" today. The goal is to foster mutual understanding and new forms of Japan-Taiwan relations through sincere engagement with Taiwan's art. The artist interview features Mel Chin, a Hiroshima Prize laureate, discussing his new exhibition in Hiroshima.
(Source：bijutsutecho.com)