On August 8, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA) hosted a public presentation showcasing the residency outcomes of its fellow under the VILLA Formose program. During the event, artist-curator Danilo Lovisi shared his experience researching NTMoFA’s collection during his residency, visiting Taiwanese arts and cultural institutions, engaging with experts and scholars, and conducting the "Visual Pairings / Object-Narratives" workshop with the public. In his residency studio, he presented research outcomes combining found objects gathered from the streets of Taiwan, France, and Brazil, images from NTMoFA's collection, and personal memories. The presentation attracted numerous artists and art enthusiasts, fostering vibrant exchanges and demonstrating the close link between artistic research, public engagement, and curatorial practice.
This year marks the third edition of the "Villa Formose" residency program co-organized by NTMoFA and the French Office in Taipei, aiming to promote international exchanges and highlight Taiwanese culture. Selected artist-curator Danilo Lovisi was in residence from July 13 to August 13. Lovisi holds multiple roles as an art historian, artist, curator, and cultural consultant. He graduated from the École du Louvre, majoring in art history and museology. Having served for many years as the Cultural Director of the Jean-Félicien Gacha Foundation in Cameroon, he specializes in exhibition conceptualization, research writing, and curating cross-cultural projects. He has also contributed to various editorial projects and published critical essays across international arts journals. Beyond institutional practice, Lovisi is currently reactivating his artistic practice, developing interdisciplinary works that integrate "material culture," "narrative practices," and "circulation."
The residency project centers around Object-Narratives and Visual Stories, focusing on how "found objects" and "intimate objects" carrying personal memories engage in dialogue with artworks from the museum's collection. Lovisi originally planned to wander through cities, collecting objects loaded with memory and emotion from streets and markets, and connecting them to NTMoFA's collection. As his research progressed, his perspective shifted from macro themes such as insularity, migration, and materiality toward nuanced relationships between objects, replacing the "quantity of collection" with the "quality of connection," which gradually shaped the curatorial direction of his residency research.
During his residency, Lovisi engaged in dialogue with Taiwanese artist Wu Mali and visited the National Museum of Prehistory. Considering potential connections between prehistoric artifacts and contemporary life, he suggested that collecting everyday items in today's cities can be viewed as a form of "preventive archaeology"—re-examining seemingly ordinary urban fragments to reflect on how objects carry traces of living and memory.
Lovisi also accessed NTMoFA's collection vaults to view original artworks he had previously selected from the collection list. The experience of spending extended time with original works led him to rethink the time and concentration required to observe art, shaping the concept of "intuitive curating" introduced in his workshop. He considers collection works not as static entities stored away in vaults, but as creations waiting to form dynamic relationships with different objects, viewers, and contexts.
On July 25, Lovisi designed the "Visual Pairings / Object-Narratives" workshop structured around themes such as "memory," "islandness," "intimacy," "found objects," and "affective relationships with images and materials." Participants were invited to bring meaningful personal items or photos and intuitively pair them with images of NTMoFA collection items as well as urban fragments collected during his wanderings in Taiwan, France, and Brazil. Participants first connected their personal objects with images of NTMoFA collection works, observing closely and recording associations. Next, they integrated "found objects" gathered by Lovisi. Finally, they stepped outside the studio to search the museum grounds, exhibitions, or surroundings for a "third element"—such as photos, leaves, flowers, or stones—observing how original meanings altered and what new narratives emerged when different objects collided. Lovisi guided participants in constructing their own "visual constellations," discussing emotional and poetic resonances between objects and transforming individual micro-narratives into participatory art practice. One participant brought a Pikachu plush toy given by their grandfather and, through visual pairing, realized a subtle emotional connection between this childhood keepsake and a lifelong affinity for yellow. Through these subtle personal stories, private memories were transformed into a shared artistic experience.
In addition, Lovisi created a "visual journal" using transparent materials. By overlaying, penetrating, and recombining images, linear narrative is transformed into open, unfinished visual relations, making "transparency" a metaphor for overlapping memories. Although personal photographs, everyday objects, and artworks originate from different contexts, they all carry memory, emotion, perception, and life experience, generating new ways of seeing and new meanings when brought together.
Lovisi noted that through this residency project, he hopes to rethink how artworks and everyday objects reveal collective and individual forms of memory. Meanwhile, he invited the public to step into his open studio—a poetic space where urban fragments dialogue with everyday memories—for an experimental exploration.
NTMoFA stated that it will continue leveraging international residency programs to deepen exchanges with the public, expand international understanding of Taiwanese art, and elevate Taiwan's artistic influence on the global stage.
For more information:
● https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_sNpkFmhW91qGeyH8zWALWmmM_8mx-Cc
● Program Coordinator: Huang Chuan-yu | Tel: (04) 2372-3552 ext. 121
● Media Contact: May Yan | Tel: (04) 2372-3552 ext. 123
● Danilo Lovisi | Instagram: @lovisi.danilo / Website: www.lovisidanilo.com / Email: lovisi.danilo@gmail.com
National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts
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