Centenary Prospects for the Virtual Age

At the auspicious juncture marking the centennial of the Republic of China’s founding, Taiwan’s arts community has stepped out with unprecedented vigor and freshness. To our delight, a broad array of art performances and exhibitions – including music, theater, dance and visual art – feature innovative use of technological elements, not only offering vastly different viewing experiences, but declaring digital technology firmly part of the mainstream of future art creation.

Over the course of its development, Taiwan has become increasingly sophisticated in the application of digital technology on infrastructure and art. One prominent successful example of the incorporation of technological elements in recent years was the Pavilion of Dreams at the 2010 Taipei International Flora Expo, organized by the Taipei City Government. The Pavilion, extensively outfitted with interactive devices, was a collaborative effort among domestic art groups that featured a successful synthesis of technology, digital elements, and artistic presentation under an overarching eco-friendly design philosophy. It provided visitors with a whole new perceptual experience and was widely acclaimed at home and abroad. As early as five years ago, Taipei City seized the initiative among government agencies to host annual arts events such as the Digital Art Festival Taipei, cultivating citizens’ appreciation for digital art. The pinnacle of this progression to date, the Pavilion of Dreams elevated Taipei City to new heights in new technology and new media art.

The 6th Digital Art Festival Taipei 2011 is once again hosted at the Bopiliao Historic Block. Inspired by the intriguing contrast between a historical district and modern technology, Cross was chosen as the curatorial theme to inform the presentation. This theme highlights the complex and ever-changing diversity as fields converge and cross-pollinate. With five years of experience, the Digital Art Festival Taipei sees digital art creation transitioning towards collective creation of digital art. Such events cannot be executed by one artist alone, but must draw on the input of experts and artists from all fields. As digital art performance is an emerging form of art, extensive support is needed from the government, industries, and the art and technology fields to successfully integrate resources across facilities, manpower and venues – areas in which we will continue to concentrate our efforts in the future.

With a view toward expanding the Festival into an international exchange platform, this year we have solicited major digital artworks for exhibition and overseas artists to participate in forums and exchanges. The event also serves as a common stage for young local artists to compete with and learn from renowned overseas masters. Concurrent with the festival, the Digital Art Center Taipei will also hold its annual exhibition to present the outcome of its efforts in international exchange and R&D over the past year. I sincerely welcome you to this grand event of art and innovation!

Mayor of Taipei City Govemment