In an eagerly anticipated event, the internationally acclaimed Cloud Gate Dance Theatre is set to captivate London audiences with their mesmerizing performance of 'Lunar Halo' at Sadler's Wells. This exclusive engagement, scheduled from November 30th to December 2nd, marks a rare opportunity for the UK audience to witness the artistry of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre first-hand, as they bring their extraordinary talents to the prestigious Sadler's Wells venue. With a reputation for pushing the boundaries of artistic expression, the troupe's performances transcend cultural boundaries and promise to leave a lasting impression on London's cultural landscape.

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, renowned for their ground-breaking performances, will showcase 'Lunar Halo,' a masterpiece by Artistic Director Cheng Tsung-Lung, that seamlessly blends traditional and contemporary dance forms. The performance is expected to transport spectators into a realm of artistic brilliance, where movements become a poetic language and the stage transforms into a canvas of emotions.

For more information, please consult the following link: https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/cloud-gate-dance-theatre-of-taiwan-lunar-halo/

The exhibition traces Li Yuan-chia's dedication to nurturing creativity, his fascination with play, and his exploration of novel ways of existing in the world. Through the LYC Museum and Art Gallery, which he founded and ran between 1972 and 1983 in the Cumbrian village of Banks, Li displayed Roman artifacts, pieces from key figures in British modernism, local artists' works, and contemporary practices like kineticism, land art, and video. The LYC's children's space served as a platform for young artists to experiment, while craft workshops became hubs for creative communities. Similar to Kettle's Yard, the LYC featured a library, a garden, and social spaces, reshaping our encounters with art.

Li's role as both an artist and organizer takes centre stage in the exhibition, along with the artists showcased at the LYC and those part of the cosmopolitan networks he fostered. ‘Making New Worlds’ will also feature works by contemporary artists reflecting on the lasting impact of Li's work today.

Consult the following link to learn more: https://www.kettlesyard.cam.ac.uk/whats-on/making-new-worlds-li-yuan-chia-and-friends/

The 8th edition of the renowned London East Asia Film Festival is back with this year’s rich and diverse programme comprising 48 titles, both contemporary and restored classics, including 12 International premieres and 25 UK premieres from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Tibet, Philippines, and Macao. The Festival will take place from October 18th to October 29th, 2023, and it follows these main strands: Retrospective of Director Chung Ji-Young, LEAFF’s Official Selection, Competition, Stories of Women, Halloween Horror Special, Cherish the World, LGBTQIA+, and Classics Restored, all curated by Festival Director Hyejung Jeon, with a team of festival advisors and programmers based in East Asia and the UK.

 This year, Taiwanese cinema has been highly regarded by the Festival, which decided to screen 7 films with entries in three of the main strands: Stories of Women, with Little Blue (Director Lee Yi-fang) and Untold Herstory (Director Zero Chou), Competition, with Coo-Coo 043 (Director Chan Ching-Lin), Day Off + Q&A (Director Fu Tien-yu), and GAGA (Director Laha Mebow), and Classics Restored, in partnership with Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute (TFAI), with Ah Fei (Director Wan Jen) and Dust of Angels (Director Hsiao-Ming Hsu).

Furthermore, this year, audiences will be able to immerse themselves in a special Taiwan night held at Odeon Luxe West End on October 21st. The night will begin with the screening of Day Off, released in 2023, which has already won the ‘Mulberry award for best screenplay’ at the Far East Film Festival in April. Afterward, the screening will be followed by an enriching live Q&A with Director Fu Tien-Yu at the cinema. Finally, audiences are invited to join the Taiwan-themed reception, where they will have the precious opportunity to learn more about Taiwan and its diverse culture.

Tsai Ming-Liang has established himself as one of the key filmmakers in Taiwan and abroad making significant contributions to global cinema. This Summer at Kino Regina in Helsinki, audiences can enjoy a retrospective of his best and most renowned titles supported by the Ministry of Culture, Taiwan.

Click on the link to know more: https://kinoregina.fi/teemat/tsai-ming-liang/

The Delfina Foundation has invited Tzu-Tung Lee 李紫彤 (ze/zir), curator, political activist, and conceptual artist from Taiwan, to join them in London for a residency that will last from the 10th of July to the 29th of September, 2023.

The artist’s practice combines anthropological field research, political concerns, and economic activism. Zir projects explore the negotiation with political, gender, and illness identities. Moreover, Tzu-Tung’s projects also include participatory methods by inviting participants as collective creators to queer up the contemporary authorities. Zir works focus on how one can survive, manipulate, and regain autonomy through zir identities, with special attention on the hegemony of Chinese Sino-centrism, the trauma of modernity, the regain of indigeneity, and the current epistemological injustice.

During zir residency at Delfina Foundation, Tzu-Tung will use the time to develop playbooks that convert our approach to Taiwan’s probable warfare, asking that we artfully, creatively, and purposefully playfully rethink our most pressured political matters.

Ngialibalibade - to the Lost Myth

The largest contemporary visual arts festival in the UK, the Liverpool Biennial, opened on June 10th. Taiwanese indigenous artist Eleng Luluan has been invited to create an on-site artwork titled "Ngialibalibade - To the Lost Myth." It is exhibited for the first time at the Princes Dock in Liverpool during the Biennial. This edition of the Liverpool Biennial invited South African curator Khanyisile Mbongwa to curate the exhibition with the theme of "uMoya: The Sacred Return of Lost Things," echoing the history and characteristics of Liverpool. Starting from the curator's cultural background, it emphasizes the importance of ancestral and local knowledge, wisdom, and healing. In the isiZulu language, "uMoya" represents "spirit, breath, air, climate, and wind."

Echoing this year's theme, artist Eleng Luluan's work, titled "Ngialibalibade - To the Lost Myth," draws inspiration from her own background as a member of the Rukai indigenous tribe. According to Rukai legend, their founder was born from a pottery jar protected by two snakes, thus making the pottery jar a symbol of life's origin. The artist incorporates this ancient symbol by constructing a large metal container at the exhibition site and utilizing hand-woven components made from recycled fishing nets to transform the pottery jar into a sacred "vessel." The artist aims to create a sacred space where every viewer can enter, situated between the Mersey River and the Prince's Dock waterfront, inviting contemplation on the interdependence between visitors and water. The installation also serves as a reflection on the devastating impact of climate change on the environment. This is the latest creation in Eleng Luluan’s "Ali sa be sa be" series. "Ngialibalibade" is a term in the Rukai language that signifies an ongoing process or passage of time. It describes the state of experiencing growth in life, transformation of the mind, the cyclical changes of nature, rapid advancements in technology, visible monumental shifts in life, or subtle changes hidden within one's inner self. During the process of "Ngialibalibade," each person experiences different states of mind. Eleng Luluan endeavors to engage in a dialogue between her own life experiences and the contemporary phenomena occurring in the world through her artistic creation.

The Southbank Centre in London has commissioned Taiwanese artist Michael Lin to create a new public artwork for the Hayward Gallery Café, now available for public viewing. Lin's work Macule injects a lively energy into the Hayward Gallery's brutalist architecture.

The piece showcases Lin's signature style of repeating plum blossom patterns commonly found in traditional designs from Taiwan, China, and Japan, layered in hues of pink, red, and yellow. Through these patterns, Lin uses visual language and traditional motifs to showcase the blending of cultural identity and encourages audiences' participation and interaction in a shared culture. The width of the wallpaper determines the pattern's scale, and Lin uses this to explain the historical process of wallpaper production. In 17th century England, wallpaper was beginning to be produced in rolls rather than single sheets, which allowed for larger patterns to be repeated. Lin's use of non-uniform and playful layering of Macule gives the impression of hand-printing, as each roll of wallpaper features a varying number of layers and intricacy. By incorporating both traditional craft techniques and modern technology, Lin highlights the concept of labour in the digital age.

Presented under the umbrella title ‘A Glimpse of Taiwan’, this year’s roster of carefully-chosen productions runs a gamut from full-on contemporary dance (See You) and thoughtfully stylised dance-theatre (The Whisper of the Waves) to cross-art form experimentation (TOMATO) and circus-style, multi-media spectacle (Light of Life). The four shows can be seen "in person" at Taiwan Season’s valued partner venues Summerhall or Dance Base or, in a welcome new partnership, Assembly.

Read more at: Taiwan Season 2022 | Taiwan Season - Edinburgh Festival Fringe