Chiayi City Welcomes the Arrival of the Museum Era

Text and photos by Chen Chi-Hsiang. The Chiayi Railway Art Village exhibition space can be said to be Taiwan’s most active art performance venue. Under the annual Hei-Jin-Duan Art Festival’s “Translation” special theme, it concluded yesterday on December 29. The Chiayi Railway Art Village is also relocating; the era of so-called Taiwanese railway art villages and idle-space exhibitions is entering history (due to the elevation of Chiayi Train Station). Chiayi is advancing with the times, welcoming the new era of museums.

Chiayi City is known as the “City of Painting,” a place where humanities converge, possessing a tradition of artists. For over twenty years, the Railway Art Village has continuously showcased new energy in contemporary artistic creation and local innovative vitality. Are the humanistic and artistic workers in the Chiayi region prepared for the arrival of the museum era? What expectations, suggestions, and visions do local artists have for museums?

As the annual General Assembly of the Railway Art Association (the most representative painting association in Chiayi) approaches, should we invite the Director of the Chiayi Cultural Affairs Bureau or the Museum Director to join the dialogue? Let us gain a deeper understanding of the current strategic direction and blueprint for Chiayi’s culture, the goals, long-term vision, strategies, intentions, operations, and education of local museums, and how they can assist local artistic development. How can we cooperate with representative local painting associations? How can we expand our horizons regarding exchange, development, planning, expansion, and education with various regions in Taiwan and global metropolises? We hope to hold face-to-face communication and exchange with the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Museum Director, jointly promoting future development.