The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA) held a presentation and symposium on November 17 featuring the work of its first artist-in-residence, Aurélien Lepetit, while announcing the launch of its International Residency Program for 2025. This event not only showcased Lepetit's creative achievements during his residency but also marked the beginning of a new chapter in the museum's residency initiatives.
In collaboration with the Bureau Français de Taipei's VILLA FORMOSE program and National Chung Hsing University, NTMoFA welcomed Lepetit as its inaugural resident artist this year to enhance international exchange and deepen collection research. During his residency, Lepetit visited numerous Taiwanese cultural and artistic institutions, including the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute, Yuma Taru's Studio/Atayal Weaving Cultural Park, Museum of Fiber Arts in Taichung, TSMC Museum of Innovation, and Grand View Art Village. These visits enabled him to explore Taiwan's developments in fiber arts and innovation, incorporating these experiences into his artistic practice.
At the presentation, Lepetit shared his research on the museum's collection through a visual atlas that combined local textile research and experimentation. His work explores queer culture and feminism, integrating these themes with emerging technologies such as quantum physics and computing, mathematical diagrams, and emotional data. He reinterpreted four pieces from the museum's collection: Huang Wen-ying's "Body Atlas I," Liu Qiu-se's "Illusion 1," Huang Ji-yang's "Peripheral Vision-Wandering & Gathering No.1," and Li Shan-feng's "No Nuclear But Electricity (I)," examining them through the lens of textiles, contemporary art, and new technology.
Lepetit also demonstrated his material and color studies, including embroidery works created using his great-grandmother's wool and yarns dyed with natural dyes and traditional Chinese herbal medicines, sharing his exploration of materials, colors, and creative processes with the audience.
The event featured a dialogue between curator/artist Wu Shang-lin and Lepetit, where they discussed the possibilities and challenges of interdisciplinary creation from their distinct cultural backgrounds and artistic experiences. The dialogue allowed the audience to gain deeper insights into Lepetit's creative process, his observations of Taiwan, and his sources of inspiration. Lepetit announced plans to create a large-scale handwoven piece in response to his residency experience at NTMoFA.
Museum Director Chen Kuang-yi stated that this collaboration with Bureau Français de Taipei marks the beginning of NTMoFA's residency program and represents the first museum-based artist residency program in Taiwan. In addition to continuing the VILLA FORMOSE collaboration next year, NTMoFA will officially launch its International Residency Program, inviting international artists, curators, critics, and art historians to conduct research on Taiwanese art history and produce related publications, exhibitions, or artworks.
Chen emphasized, "Taiwanese art history should not be written solely by our nationals. To 'reconstruct Taiwan's art history,' we must invite researchers from other countries to participate, positioning Taiwanese art within the global art development context." With a collection of over 20,000 pieces, NTMoFA aims to increase Taiwan's cultural visibility globally through its residency program.
This presentation marks the beginning of the residency initiative, and NTMoFA invites all interested parties to participate in the upcoming International Residency Program, working together to promote global understanding of Taiwanese art and expand its international influence.
National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts Announces First Artist-in-Residence Outcome and Launches International Residency Program for 2025
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National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts
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