Abstracts of No. 98 "The Search of Artworks"

2023/03/20 點閱數：221

Ⅰ.【Features 】

The Search for Taiwanese Art History: The Significance of Water of Immortality/ Yen Chuan-Ying

This article uses Water of Immortality as a gateway into tracing the history of Taiwanese fine art and elaborates that the existence and importance of specific artworks do not merely lie in the fact that they are manifestations of society but also in their historical impact on modern art and culture. The author describes how artist Huang Tu-Shui dedicated his entire life to making art with the hopes of creating a work that can touch the heart of humanity and that the art and culture of Taiwan can seep into the corners of everyday life. Despite efforts in investigation and research, there are still blank spaces throughout Taiwanese art history, and the author hopes that more people will join in the mission of reconstructing cultural memory.

Lost and Found: Klimt and the Ongoing Search for Truth/Liao Wei-Chu

This article opens with the theft case of Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of a Lady and proceeds to discuss the “value” of artworks, as in its history, circumstances, and encounters, and how the context of an artwork lies at the center of its uniqueness. In the art market, the value of an artwork is based on its authenticity, provenance, and legal ownership, information that stolen works lack. Perhaps Portrait of a Lady was returned because the thief encountered difficulty after years of attempting to profit from the work. Regardless, the incident inspires us to contemplate the necessity of theft-proofing artworks so that the unique stories behind each work can be passed on.

The Life History of a Paining in the Museum: The Discovery and Collection of Shiotsuki Toho's Tokugawa Ieyasu Meeting the Pangcah People (1923) at the National Taiwan Museum/Li Tzu-Ning

Following the footsteps of National Taiwan Museum researcher Li Tzu-Ning, this article is an investigation of the discovery, collection, and display of Shiotsuki Toho’s Tokugawa Ieyasu Meeting the Indigenous People. While inspecting the National Taiwan Museum collection in 2016, researchers discovered a painting created with a medium different from its records. After research conducted by art historian Jessica Tsaiji Lyu-Hada, the artist and title of the work were determined, which allowed the work to return to the stage of history. Together with Lyu-Hada, the author also reinvestigated the circumstances and background of how the work entered the museum collection. One possible explanation is that the work was a “history painting” created while Japanese Crown Prince Hirohito visited Taiwan and was displayed during an exhibition at the Taiwan Governor Museum history room, but was later taken down due to a lack of historical data or changes in interpretations of history and ended up in the museum warehouse.

The List of Taiwanese Artworks Awaiting Rediscovery: A Brief Introduction of Collections of the Public Sector During the Japanese Reign and the Nationalist Government/ Liu Chi-Yu

Based on cases of public sector art collections, this article introduces works that are either discovered or awaiting “rediscovery.” Apart from organizing fine art exhibitions during the Japanese reign, the Taiwan Educational Association also acquired works from the Taiten (Taiwan Fine Art Exhibition) as well as works by Japanese artists who visited Taiwan to participate in exhibitions in an effort to encourage the art development in Taiwan. In addition to government buildings, the artworks were also handed over to the custodianship of various schools after being created or displayed. However, with the regime change in 1945, many classic works were lost during the handover, and their whereabouts remain unknown to this day. The reemergence of Water of Immortality has restored confidence in finding lost artworks. Many works documenting the magnificence of Taiwanese art history may still be in the warehouses of local government agencies or schools, waiting to be discovered.

Stories of Disappearance and Recovery: Welcome to Noah Charney's The Museum of Lost Art/Eleanor Wang

This article is a review of Noah Charney’s The Museum of Lost Art. The author first explains Charney’s motive for writing the book, which is to remind people of the fragileness of artworks and to guide readers into understanding the multidimensional nature of art history. After making an account of the different chapters of the book and giving an overview of why the nine artworks were lost, the author of this article concludes with the different opinions between Charney and the public regarding using technology as a way of displaying works of art. Besides praising Charney’s masterful writing skills, this article also references criticism toward the book and points out its failure to include regions that are not viewed as mainstream in art history.

Ⅱ.【Southern Aspects 】

The Lumière Exhibition in the South: Talk between Director Yulin Lee and Chiang Po-Shin/ Megan Lan

The article chronicles the talk between the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (KMFA) director Yulin Lee and art historian Chiang Po-Shin, who participated in the exhibition planning, on the “Lumière” exhibition at the KMFA. The dialogue includes the challenges that emerged during the preparations and the significance of the exhibition being held in Kaohsiung. Aligning with KMFA’s mission of promoting “South Plus Historical Pluralism,” the process of organizing the exhibition became a trailblazing exploration of the cultural renaissance of the south, hoping that the “Lumière” exhibition will not only inspire further reflections on history but also reignite the cultural enlightenment movement that occurred a century ago, encouraging the legacy of awakening and navigating the path ahead with new perspectives to embrace further challenges and possibilities.

Yeh Tao and the Social Movements She Participated/Yang Tsui

This article recounts the life story of Yeh Tao, one of the few female fighters of the peasant movement. Yeh was born when Taiwan was going through the most turbulent period in history, which was also a time of international upheaval. Intellectuals and the underprivileged from around the world, as well as members of different ethnicity and gender groups, all stood up for their pursuits of freedom, equality, and human rights. Responding to the calling of her times, Yeh also devoted herself to social movements and fought for the rights of peasants through endeavors including giving talks, staging protests, and participating in questioning. Although Yeh was later delisted from peasant organizations, Yeh continued to participate in events of the Taiwan Cultural Association and dedicated her efforts to society, helping shape modern Taiwan.

The Visible and Invisible: The Landscapes of Taiwan Cultural Movement in Kaohsiung/Chen Kun-Yi

With the centennial of the Taiwan Cultural Association’s establishment, this article guides readers to review the abundant historical sites of cultural enlightenment in Kaohsiung. Through historical documents and images from the past and present, we can return to the places to witness the significant incidents in Kaohsiung. The whole article begins with the peasant uprising in 1925, and proceeds with the strikes in the industrial city, which signify the awakening of labor consciousness. In addition, we're able to find traces of joint efforts across medicine and culture. Eventually, the article inspires us to reminisce about the people and events of the land.

The Tug Between Art and Society: Nude Works in the Conservative South/ Lien Tzu-Yi

This article elaborates on how Taiwanese painters studied nude works, their creative process, and their encounters under the conventional atmosphere during the Japanese Reign. As Japanese society gradually accepted nude paintings through the efforts of Kuroda Seiki, its colony Taiwan had stricter evaluation standards due to considerations of cultural differences. Under the leadership of Liu Chi-Hsiang, the Kaohsiung Fine Art Institute was established in 1952 Kaohsiung, and the Southern Taiwan Art Association was established the following year. The groups allowed the talents of the south to come together, and members often gathered to paint or exchange ideas; they even managed to overcome various limitations and actively sought opportunities to practice creating nude works. With the continuing display of nude works, Taiwanese society gradually accepted the genre as a form of artistic expression.

Ⅲ.【Exhibition Insights 】

The Awakening of Taiwan Consciousness Amid the Merge of the East and West: The Birth and Rebirth of Water of Immortality/ Eka Suzuki

Centering around Huang Tu-Shui’s Water of Immortality, this article explores how Huang integrated western nude works with eastern philosophy and proceeds to elaborate on the life story of Huang. Huang traveled alone to Japan to study sculptures against the backdrop of the Japanese Reign. With no prior sculpture training, Huang had to spend more time practicing the relevant skills, which led to mockery and prejudice. However, this experience prompted Huang to look back on his homeland and add “Taiwanese” elements to his works. Today, although many of Huang’s works are still lost, through the efforts of Taiwanese society, we are fortunately able to witness the history manifested through Water of Immortality.

"Torchlight Tour in the Art Museum": Aura in the Dark/ Tammy Yu-Ting Hsieh, Li Chih-Ying, Tian Chia-Ying

This article introduces the three steps of "Torchlight Tour in the Art Museum" held by Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts. First the museum staff introduces the origin of torchlight tour in late 18^th century Europe, and then showcases how the tour was led by taking a close look at the sculptures of the museum. Finally, the participants are led to the permanent exhibition to listen to experts’ in-depth introduction of a specific masterpiece. This night time activity provides a more high-quality experience of museum audience and will likely to help museum attract more audience.

Ⅳ. 【Whose Memory?】

Living Matters and Mythology: The Art of Pasulange Druluan/Hsu Ching-Yeh

Centering on the creative journey of the artist Pasulange Druluan and his exhibition “Living Matters” with Lafin Sawmah, this article delves into how Pasulange’s impressive works integrate different mediums with inspirations from his tribe, ancestors, and even mythology. The article also mentions how the artist returned to the tribe and went on a pilgrimage to the Kucapungane tribe with tribal members, following his ancestors’ footsteps and subliming his experiences through art.

Lafin Sawmah: The Face Woven by the Earth and the Ocean/Akac Orat

This article introduces the background and works of Lafin Sawmah. His works include The Face of the Earth, Malaced Sanay, Wild Hide, Sea and Life series and Where the Wind Comes From, etc. His works are linked to the artist's creative life. The experience of living on the East Coast has influenced him to choose driftwood as his medium. His creations are also related to the identity of the aborigines, from the involvement of the Austronesians, the integration and imagination of different cultures, to the spirit of the community, all of which are the nutrients for his creations. In addition, before he became an artist, he started to learn scuba diving, and the ocean is still a source of inspiration for him today. In his more than ten years of experience returning to his hometown, Lafin’s creative works are not so many, just like his personality of enjoying the little moments of life, his creative attitude is also unhurried, pure and straightforward.

Abstracts of No. 98 "The Search of Artworks"

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