Taiwan's Contemporary Art Exhibitions—A Discourse on "Cities"

Preface

As various literature on art is gradually unearthed and databases are constantly built, archival exhibitions illustrate how Taiwan contemporary art exhibitions have developed long enough to have a rich history and development that can be retraced. In recent years, the number of studies related to Taiwanese contemporary art has gradually increased. Dissecting from as many different perspectives as possible, these researches have presented the unique features of Taiwan's contemporary curating and attempted to explore the possibilities of regional discourse despite the dominant currents of globalization. As the dispenser of artistic and cultural resources, the National Culture and Arts Foundation (NCAF) has supported creators through the reformation and addition of many grants. In the long term, it has certainly become another starting point for discussion on the progress of Taiwanese contemporary art. Continuing this train of thought, this paper will focus on the Production Grants to Independent Curators in Visual Arts (PGICVA) which NCAF began providing in 2004, select specific keywords to focus on, and do a preliminary analysis on the origins and further research of the discourses surrounding this grant.

Expanding curating and stacking keywords

Roughly 20 years have passed since the concept of curating was introduced in the 1990s. It is not an extremely long period of time, yet long enough for us to scrutinize how the issues and methodology of Taiwan's contemporary curatorial practice have transformed and evolved. However, as contemporary curating expands into other disciplines and the roles of the curator and the exhibition are constantly being redefined, the use of suitable research methods is of utter importance.

According to my observations, the art field has gradually adopted the use of "keywords" as a research approach, and many research projects, exhibitions, and publications start off from keywords. The Documents of Contemporary Art book series published by Whitechapel Gallery is a series of essays compiled according to the keywords "time", "exhibition", "object" "participation", and "system". This editing rationale reflects how contemporary art is currently actively pushing towards the edges of art. The creation of contemporary art often involves multiple disciplines, so education, curating, and research can no longer be conducted according to traditional aesthetic evaluation standards and must be considered in light of specific concepts, subjects, and issues that influence contemporary society. These perspectives might stem from daily life or come from unusual fields of interest; they might spring from psychoanalytic theory, which is metaphysical, or even politics, which is practical.〔1〕Back in Taiwan, the Taiwan Contemporary Art Archive (TCAA), which was established by the Association of the Visual Arts in Taiwan (AVAT) and went fully online in 2014, also adopted the keyword research method. Researchers were gathered to choose keywords based on their backgrounds and interests and organize related literature. Tzu-Chieh Chien, one of the initiators of the project, describes it this way: "When researchers choose keywords, this puts multiple disciplines under the spotlight, more closely resembling the act of adding parameters over the original structure. This reflects certain characteristics or circumstances of the development of Taiwanese contemporary art."〔2〕In other words, the advantage of keywords lies in their applicability to multiple time periods and disciplines as needed. By stacking and connecting keywords, a certain slice of Taiwan's contemporary art can be pieced together.

Selection of the keyword: City

I felt it was difficult to choose and analyze multiple keywords for this commissioned research paper. Therefore, the following discussion is built on a preliminary review of the information about PGICVA organized by NCAF: With "city" as the keyword, I chose 3 exhibitions from the 2000s as case studies: Exorcising Exoticism (2006, curated by Sandy Hsiu-Chih Lo), City of Swallows: Migration, Post / Colonial Memory and New Taiwan Color (2006, curated by Elsa Hsiang-Chun Chen), and POST.O: The Reverse of TOPOS (2009, curated by Chien-Hung Huang and Open Contemporary Art Center). These exhibitions were built on their own respective curatorial perspectives and unraveled the webs of art interwoven within the city. However, before this paper begins, two research criteria need to be explained in detail:

First of all, the selection of the time period: The decade of the 2000s was chosen for two reasons: Firstly, NCAF began offering PGICVA in 2004. Secondly, the 2000s were the time when various curatorial grants and awards, academic education, and biennials as we know them today were established. This is an indication that curating had developed into a profession and that the function of exhibitions had become more substantial. Their use in contemporary society was no longer limited to "showcasing artworks to the public", but could also actively bring about change by constructing meaning, conveying knowledge, and proposing reflections. NCAF began offering PGICVA since 2004. A statement was issued at its launch:

"‘Curating’ is a process of cultural production that involves combining and taking action in multiple fields of knowledge. Conceiving an idea, writing a discourse, holding seminars and workshops, and performing administrative tasks such as communication and coordination are all part of a curator's job. By calling for submissions each year, investing resources, and holding open calls for experimental and outstanding exhibition proposals, curators are encouraged to collaborate with curatorial teams and propose themed exhibition projects that combine local and international perspectives with the benefits of research and development, in order to promote the integration of theory, creation, and exhibition for the simultaneous growth of artistic occupations."〔3〕

As the aspects and dimensions of curatorial practice grew more complex by the day, NCAF especially separated curatorial grants from regular grants, so that resources could be concentrated in the right places and the grant mechanism could reflect how curatorial practice had become a profession. More importantly, this affirms that curating possesses the abilities and functions of producing knowledge and integrating local and international viewpoints.〔4〕

Secondly, the selection of the keyword: The choice of the 2000s as the context for this research paper reflects the inception of the curatorial mechanism in Taiwan; additionally, the year 2000 signified the arrival of globalization, as economies, information, technology, and culture were becoming increasingly homogeneous. Cities played a key role in the development of Asia, since it absorbed Western thought and was overtaken by commercialism and capitalism. In the field of global art, biennials were held everywhere in the world (especially in Asia) and caused "contemporary curating" to be viewed as a practical strategy of city culture under the strong influence of globalization.〔5〕The Taipei Biennial was established with these expectations. Furthermore, the 1998 Taipei Biennial was an exhibition specifically built around Asian cities. Japanese curator Fumio Nanjo, the curator of the 1998 Taipei Biennial, recalled:

"If you were to ask why the world's eyes are set on Asia, I think it is because of its economic development, because the life of Asians has begun to change..." At that time, the famous Swiss curator Hans Ulrich Obrist happened to curate an exhibition in Europe named Cities on the Move〔6〕, which focused on Asian contemporary art and architecture, and the exhibition was touring in Europe... Because of this title, we began to think, what is it that changed the cities?"〔7〕

Considering Cities on the Move and the issues brought up by the 1998 Taipei Biennial when revisiting PGICVA, which began in 2004, I believe that in Taiwan, having discussions that start from the keywords "Asia (modernization)", "City", and "Local (Locality)" in the era of globalization gives the city two roles: It functions as a discourse as well as a location. Through the development of the city, multiple aspects of modernization amidst globalization are presented. To be sure, there are many studies and discussions in Taiwan's academic field and art criticism about the relationship between the city and art. However, this study does not aim to examine benefits such as how art spurs the development of the city, the increase in the number of exhibition-goers, or if city tourism can increase; instead, by reviewing exhibitions that revolve around the "city" (especially Asian cities), this study explores whether a city can be more than a "venue for display", and whether it can effectively bring forward a "local" discourse despite the unique background of the "venue". Just as independent curator Harald Szeemann criticized: When globalism has become the enemy of contemporary art, the saying "think globally, but act locally" stimulates the generation of a "localized" context in response.〔8〕Therefore, through the three case studies mentioned above, this study explores how exhibitions lay bare and stimulate the city, so that it becomes a stronger reactive force in the process of modernization.

The puncture and exploration of modernized cities

"While modernization is being shaped, Asian cities are also seeking for a whole new identity... Traditions are being re-examined, created, and spread, and Western modernization is simultaneously being spread, learned from, researched, emulated, and disposed of."〔9〕

There is no doubt that Western modernization caused cities around the globe to become highly homogeneous. However, in this text written for the 1998 Taipei Biennial, the city examines the West and actively builds its own identity. As an Asian city that sits across from the West (or which is imagined by the West), how can a road leading to a new identity and culture be paved amidst similarities and dissimilarities? In the following section, I will explore the exhibitions Exorcising Exoticism, curated by Sandy Hsiu-Chih Lo, and City of Swallows, curated by Elsa Hsiang-Chun Chen, in the same year, 2006.

In Sandy Hsiu-Chih Lo's curatorial statement for her exhibition Exorcising Exoticism, she wrote:

"In the quest for globalization and 'de-territorialization', how should we treat 'exoticism'? Should we look upon it as the remnants of imperialism, the fortress of nationlism, or the illegitimate child of capitalism? Can artistic creations subvert its original semantics, confer on it a different spiritual complexion or put forward a different viewing angle? To supersede the traditional outlook of exoticism and to eliminate the demon spirit hidden in exoticism is a preliminary attempt of this exhibition."〔10〕

Vivid billboards occupy the most eye-catching locations of the city: Department store windows and large LED video walls symbolize the glorification of commercialism and capitalism in the modernization process of Asian cities. They are communication media, symbols, and they substitute reality: They shape the supposed desire and illusion of modern life, and this desire corresponds with the disappointment in reality and fulfillment by fantasy, projecting them in our living spaces. Therefore, in Exorcising Exoticism, the curator and artists used this characteristic to their advantage and filled the city's ad-filled skyline with art, so that as it is "viewed", "announcements can be made to the world". Many artists used the input strategy of advertisements—repetition and forced deterritorialization—to criticize the self-imposed limitations caused by ideology: Channel A reproduced the cultural imaginings that 18th century Europeans had of Formosan (Taiwanese) people (mainly represented by clothing) in shop windows, and as regular performances, Western models wore these clothes and stood still in the shop windows. On the one hand, subject-object roles were reversed to allude to the fallacies of exoticism brought by cultural geography; on the other hand, this emphasized the absolute materialization of culture and values brought by consumerism. Turkish artist Gulsun Karamustafa chose to rip apart famous 19th century Orientalist paintings of Eastern women in the Western gaze and collaged the fragments together into an installation, which was then placed on the busy streets of Taipei. This manifested Edward Said's argument in his book Orientalism: The West is accustomed to understanding the East 'in fragments'.

Exorcising Exoticism (2005 PGICVA-funded exhibition), curated by Sandy Hsiu-Chih Lo and exhibited in Taipei Hisinyi District

In contrast to the towering buildings of the city is the small town of Tamsui at the northern tip of Taiwan, where the curator worked with local residents and elementary school students on documentation exhibitions and workshops. Participants of the "documentation exhibition" mainly included teenagers and families of Tamsui. Starting from five artists whose works were displayed in the exhibition, the concepts in their artworks were first explored: gender, Orientalism, identity, indigenous culture, simulation, consumerism, and family issues. In the course of discussions, they engaged in dialogue and reconsideration of their personal lives, localities, and family experiences, and chose the Little White House (former Tamsui Customs Officers' Residence, a colonial style bungalow), which was built in colonial times and exemplifies colonial architecture, as the exhibition venue. Other than exhibitions centered on children's art, the curator also invited South African artist Santu Mofokeng to hold a photography workshop, in which photography lovers of the Tamsui Community University and college students were invited to discuss the omnipresent spectacle of advertisements which "brain wash" people in their daily life, from faraway South Africa to the small town of Tamsui. By connecting the streets of Xinyi and the suburbs of Tamsui, the two are contrasted by their geographical distance and different histories: The globalized, commercial, homogeneous space and the ancient tourist town with a colonial past seem to mirror each other. Their images are reflected from the other end of the mirror, and the ambiguity of "exoticism" in a globalized context is dispelled.〔11〕

Globalization gave rise to monotonous city sceneries, the internationalization of capital led to the integration of economic systems, and in Taiwan, which was modernizing rapidly, various demands caused people to migrate to cities from the countryside and attracted new immigrants from South East Asia, resulting in a gradual change in Taiwan's labor structure. In the same year (2006), Elsa Hsiang-Chun Chen curated City of Swallows: Migration, Post / Colonial Memory and New Taiwan Color. This exhibition was put together from the perspective of the immigrant experience and, through contemporary art, presented the issue of migration as modernization and globalization overtook Taiwan.〔12〕Referencing the chapter regarding the "City of Rats" and the "City of Swallows" in Italian writer Italo Calvino's renowned work Invisible Cities, the curator wrote: "Calvino said that we are all living in hell. There is no heaven, only a slightly better hell and a slightly worse hell, so everyone tries hard to fly from the "City of Rats" to the "City of Swallows"...〔13〕The former symbolizes the dwindling old century, while the latter symbolizes the new upcoming century, but paradoxically, the two rely on each other, and the latter is actually a city that is liberated from the former; The city has certainly changed, and might have even changed for the better, but one cannot help but notice the old city that can be seen from the cracks.

"City of Swallows is an exhibition concept which begins with a space", a review began this way, explaining how the exhibition was inseparable from its space.〔14〕It extended through the earliest modern road in Taiwan—Zhongshan North Road—and, through artworks that interacted with specific environments, the exhibition presented the complicated development of Taiwan's politics which resulted in the multi-layered population structure and complicated history of Zhongshan North Road, influenced by colonialism and immigration. The curator invited 8 groups of visual artists and interdisciplinary creators and teams from the Graduate Institute of Building and Planning to exhibit in multiple spaces, such as Shin Len Yuan Art Space, SPOT-Taipei, St. Christopher Church, Zhongshan North Road, and Linsen and Kangle Parks. The exhibition was built on three layers. The first layer was the meeting between new immigrants and Taiwanese society. Artist Sun-Quan Huang asked 10 migrant workers living in Taiwan to take a photo with their phones every 30 minutes. These photos were edited and a soundtrack was added to make a film, Encounter, which presented the lives of migrant workers and the complex labor force in Taiwan. As for Foreign Brides in Meinung by Hsiao-Fang Lin and Home from Across the Sea and Shei-Ting and Her Song by Ping-Hai Wu, these two documentary directors worked on-site over a long period of time to make these documentaries, revealing the internationalization of capital and complex national consciousness behind international marriages, and even the maladjustment and estrangement experienced by migrant women due to language barriers. The second layer reveals the historical and cultural system behind "viewing". Similar to Exorcising Exoticism, both curators simultaneously brought up the issue of "the action of viewing (others)" by mere coincidence. This seems to also be an unavoidable issue when humans migrate due to modernization and globalization. Channel A, who also exhibited, asked "(How can we identify) what is human?" and "Who (can) identify such?" to reflect on the sense of superiority and exclusivity of dominant cultures. The final layer of the exhibition was based on swapping positions. In the Name of Michel Foucault was exhibited in the venue of the Shin Len Yuan Art Space, where the artist Julie Chou installed a digital photographic installation and two  videos of beggars in the Tibetan refugee colony in India gazing into the camera. Viewers became "the viewed" instead, and due the disproportionately large size of the artwork, the anxiety of being stared at increased and swelled in the viewer, so that they might not even be able to look back.

These three layers connected the exhibition to the history of Zhongshan North Road. Not only did artists respond to social issues by making art, but intervention activities were also held during the exhibition's running time where new immigrants were invited to perform and participate in many of the artworks. According to a news report, on the opening day, four Filipino immigrants carried four comic boards of their works Hometown, Sixteen Appeals, Beast Ad, and 360 Thousand Migrant Workers Among You and walked from the Shin Len Yuan Art Space to St. Christopher Church (a main gathering spot for new immigrants at that time). Finally, after the priest's blessing, they shed the comic boards off their backs and displayed them on the outer wall of the church.〔15〕 

City of Swallows: Migration, Post / Colonial Memory and New Taiwan Color (2005 PGICVA-funded exhibition), curated by Elsa Hsiang-Chun Chen 

These two exhibitions were both centered on the city. The focus of Exorcising Exoticism was to criticize how, under globalization, deterritorialization covered up the past by repeated simulation, eliminating differences and forming various symbols during the constant swapping and overlapping processes of simulation. Curator Sandy Hsiu-Chih Lo instinctively and cleverly placed art pieces in public spaces, simply exchanging the subject and object of the "gaze". This humorous yet blunt move, which got straight to the point, inspired deep reflection on the fallacies that have been shaped by consumerism and imperialism during modernization. Exploring issues regarding the "gaze", "truth", and "locality" is still the gist of Sandy Hsiu-Chih Lo's practice. Over a long period of time, she has developed a unique "curatography" to consolidate distinctive local characteristics, revive collective memory, and dive into the historical and cultural context of the region. It is a practical method which contends against globalized art and serves as a foundation for self-positioning. 〔16〕

The curator of City of Swallows, Elsa Hsiang-Chun Chen, wrote in her exhibition text: "...The goal (of the exhibition) is to provide a space for art-driven social transformation, so that the unseen is made seen..." 〔17〕. The parts that are "unseen" are evidence that there exist hidden voids and disappointment in every city. City of Swallows connected art to the attributes of the region profoundly. The works created by artists after delving into the cultural and historical context of the region were not meant to re-present reality, but to reveal a hidden side of the city by shifting who dominates the narrative. Quoting the description of globalization by curator Chien-Hung Huang and Open Contemporary Art Center (OCAC) for their exhibition POST.O: The Reverse of TOPOS of 2009: "Globalization is a moving world, but the globalized scenery is a static image." Therefore, these two exhibitions that took place in the city examined social issues through art, endowing individuals with the energy to shake rigid structures and systems. In the gaps between the history of common people and immigrants and urban development, a down-to-earth, individual-oriented discourse was formed and proposed.

Place-in-itself

Curator Chien-Hung Huang and OCAC curated POST.O: The Reverse of TOPOS in 2009. Also, under the wave of globalization, this exhibition started off from "place" (topos) and reconsidered city culture. This exhibition gathered 3 artist collectives and 11 artists who were concerned with locality from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Austria, France, and Japan, among other places, and the artworks were spread out in four sites, namely: The Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei (MoCA Taipei), Zhongshan Metro Mall, Zhongshan Underground Book Street, and Garden City Art Space; artist Yeh Wei-Li's atelier near the Puxin station in Taoyuan; Laeno indigenous community in Hualien and Firing Studio, which was managed by Sumi Lin; and a small ship named POST.O Maru which circled the seas around Taiwan. This exhibition was held by "plugging in" multiple venues to show the power and flexibility of the art community. Their curatorial statement says: "Topos is the aspect of contemporary art in Taiwan that has been most impacted by growing internationalization and globalization... topos no longer merely implies a desperate defense of identity or a position on the fringe." In other words, the curators believed that the homogenization of global scenery did not have to be viewed as entirely negative, but as an opportunity to seek and build "another place". 

British human geographer Doreen Massey proposed the reconceptualization of the "place" in her article A Global Sense of Place. She believes that the concept of a "place" is not perpetually fixed in roots, but made up of multiple routes of people and things. This definition shows that a place is highly heterogeneous and in a state of constant flux. In other words, "(the forming of) a place", in Massey's theory, is a dynamic process that is closely related to the pulse of society and is ever changing. 〔18〕According to this theory, the way in which this exhibition "plugs in" various venues not only "creates connections", but also "forms places". After profound discussions, 11 artworks were made on site, located on 7 circles. Each project was a vision of locality. They were not arranged in chronological order, but arranged as topoi; just as the curators referred to "topos" as a formulation of "place", the routes were interconnected and also formed dimensions within themselves. Beginning with the artists' personal experiences, they evaluated and intervened in each place, differences took shape, and naturally, "places were formed"—new places with a highly subjective consciousness: Regarding the movement of advertisements in cities, historical memory, islands and oceans, transformation of identities, being in a strange place, and even national politics. An example is POST.O Maru, which sails around Taiwan, taking artists and curatorial teams to Taiwan's harbors to discuss and work on projects with local artists. "The sea certainly diminishes memories of the land very quickly", said Chien-Hung Huang, one of the curators. 〔19〕Land, which has clear boundaries, disappears; on the sea, one is tossed and turned by the waves and cannot remain stable. Every time the ship docks and passengers alight, it seems as if they step on a new land and new bodily experiences are thus formed. Just as art critic Yung-Lin Wang accurately described: "Two dimensions appear in POST.O, the first is to 'create' an exhibition space and the second is to create art on site, according to the space. With this meaning, POST.O: The Reverse of TOPOS, both exhibition and action, turns artists into doers. They make plans, create, and interview, functioning as a catalyst between art and society to unfold artworks anew, act, communicate with the public, and create the 'place here and now'".〔20〕This accurately describes the various projects of the exhibition, which aimed to break free from the trend of homogeneity under globalization and form new "places" through these series of actions.

POST.O: The Reverse of TOPOS (2008 PGICVA-funded exhibition), curated by Chien-Hung Huang and Open Contemporary Art Center

A city in action

The "city" gathers the results of human civilization and man-made systems, and harbors extremely complex structures of time and space. After the 1998 Taipei Biennial brought the issue of the development of Asian cities into the realm of global contemporary art, a myriad of discourses on this topic have emerged. The three curatorial practices discussed in this paper respond to the curatorial practice of urban development under globalization. In these exhibitions, cities were not just venues for action, but represented the actions themselves. Exorcising Exoticism challenged the use of public space in cities to think critically about colonialism, imperialism, and consumerism; City of Swallows chose to build a city on the basis of history and transfer modern discursive power; while POST.O: The Reverse of TOPOS emphasized the fluctuating state of the city and that the establishment of a (sense of) place could be highly autonomous and proactive, without falling into a "margin-center" framework. The goal was to consciously begin a micro-revolution in the city and actively facilitate cooperation and conversation between art and the public, so that artworks could take root in the region, produce knowledge, and educate. These are all irrefutable benefits that the strategy of having art step out of the museum space and enter the urban landscape achieved.

At this point, I can't help but return to the original intent of this research: In a globalized era, how can cities respond locally? Discussing how large-scale migrations resulted in globalization and modernization in the 21st century and brought major changes seems to be playing an old tune, but an unexpected and unpredictable pandemic forced art—which relied on global interactions—to pause, proving that places depend heavily on each other. Now that movement is off limits, is it not an opportunity to reconsider the definitions of "international" and "local" and the dialogue between the two? How should we discuss this issue in today's time and space? Therefore, this paper does not aim to compare and contrast this time with earlier times; on the contrary, as I read past documents, information, and essays, I recorded the viewpoints of each exhibition in their circumstances and considered the necessity of commenting again on the issues that they brought up, after they had already been processed and transformed by time.

As we all know, these types of curatorial projects that take place in cities are no longer unique in Taiwan. Exhibitions and performances that center on the city abound and have become a platform for contemporary art to draw near to audiences—flourishing land art festivals, large scale biennials, small and medium sized organizations, and independently curated exhibitions all demonstrate similar motivations, and may even exceed past exhibitions in their driving force: Explorations of local history at a smaller scale, bold experiments that connect multiple disciplines, or methods of participation for viewers and special communities with ever increasing energy. Because of this, the "city (phenomena)" has always been a fascinating topic for art events. As mentioned above, the curatorial practice of two important curators, Sandy Hsiu-Chih Lo and Chien-Hung Huang, who are still active in Taiwan's contemporary art scene, has always revolved around the local and urban experiences under the force of globalization—they have moved towards a deeper understanding of local history, treating it as subject, and have aimed to deconstruct in detail a world view established on a progressive view of history and relative prosperity. I believe that this is an unavoidable and valuable research direction in the post pandemic era.

Suggestions for further research

"An exhibition is a perpetual redefinition of things, a sort of permanent refutation."—Joëlle Tuerlinckx, 2012〔21〕

Finally, I hope to dedicate a small section to give suggestions for further research on exhibitions. Since PGICVA began, NCAF moved with the times and adjusted the contents of the grant accordingly. Resources for curators have flowed non-stop, resulting in many landmark achievements in Taiwan's contemporary curating over the years and becoming a fertile ground for arts professionals who write as a career to do research. NCAF will definitely continue to play a crucial role in Taiwan's contemporary curating. However, as we move ahead, it is necessary to look back on footsteps in the past; I believe this is also the reason this research was commissioned. Therefore, it is my opinion that choosing "exhibitions" as the subject of research to theorize on Taiwan's contemporary curatorial concepts and clarify the context of issues is a feasible research methodology. By revisiting and considering exhibitions in retrospect, the influence of these exhibitions is expanded and exhibition (history) research is made more sensitive to Taiwan's contemporary art ecosystem. When we face new issues and look for fresh ways to implement ideas in the future, this research will help us by revealing lessons from the past.

Notes

1: For details on this book series, please visit the website: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/series/whitechapel-documents-contemporary-art?page=1
2: Li, Meng-Hsueh. Keywords as Method: Ways of Seeing Contemporary Art Archives, ARTouch website. The highlight was added by me. URL: https://artouch.com/views/review/content-48330.html (Date of access: 2020.08.01).
3: PGICVA, which NCAF began providing in 2004, has gone through multiple changes throughout the years: In 2008, the Curator's Incubator Program was added to foster young curators in Taiwan; in 2012, the option of Residential Research was added to emphasize the research stage of curatorial work, and residencies in foreign countries were offered to facilitate international exchange. For conditions and how to apply, please see for reference the NCAF website: https://www.ncafroc.org.tw/founding_detail.html?categoryId=4028888d6f437b59016f437d39560404 (Date of access: 2021.06.01).
4: Regarding the history of curatorial mechanisms and awards, please see: Lu, Pei-Yi (Ed.). (2015). Contemporary Art Curating in Taiwan, Taipei: Artco Books.
5: Biennials established in Asia in the same period of time included: the Gwangju Biennale (1995), Shanghai Biennale (1996), and Guangzhou Triennial (1997). For information regarding international biennials, please see for reference: https://www.biennialfoundation.org/network/biennial-map/ (Date of access: 2021.06.18)
6: The central idea was highlighted by the author. "Cities on the Move (1997-1999) was a landmark exhibition that discussed urbanization and city culture in East Asia and South East Asia in the late 20th century. It was curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and gathered over 150 architects, artists, film directors, and designers. The purpose of this exhibition was to 'present the lively, diverse, and creative architecture, city design, and visual culture of East Asia and South East Asia, and treat them as a strong declaration of the modernization of the regions.'" Source: https://aaa.org.hk/tc/collections/search/archive/cities-on-the-move-exhibition-archive (Date of access: 2021.05.27)
7: The central idea was highlighted by the author. Fumio Nanjo. 1998, The First Taipei Biennial, ARTouch, https://artouch.com/news/content-3238.html (Date of access: 2021.04.23)
8: "The Bias of the World: Curating After Szeemann & Hopps", David Levi Strauss, The Brooklyn Rail, Dec. 06-Jan 07. https://brooklynrail.org/2006/12/art/the-bias-of-the-world (Date of access: 2021.05.27).
9: Curatorial statement written by Fumio Nanjo for the 1998 Taipei Biennial. Source: https://www.taipeibiennial.org/TB1996-2014/Publication/Catalogues.aspx  (Date of access: December 30, 2021)
10: This is an excerpt from the exhibition's statement. For the whole text, please see the Exorcising Exoticism catalogue and the NCAF Website https://archive.ncafroc.org.tw/result?id=6025a0267505482b802a38f10e3b4b74 (Date of access: April 25, 2022)
11: For more artworks and information on activities, please see the Exorcising Exoticism catalogue and the Fort Area and Asian International Art Village of Tamsui Historical Park, Taipei County Project Assessment Report. Source: https://reurl.cc/5GRz6v.
12: Elsa Hsiang-Chun Chen wrote in her curatorial statement: "From the perspective of contemporary art, and focusing on Sections 2 and 3 of Zhongshan North Road, which have the cultural memory of special immigrants and a (post-) colonial history, City of Swallows attempts to present and contemplate, amidst the major changes of the global economy, changes in the population, society, and culture brought by Taiwan's latest wave of immigrants, and how old and new immigrants' views of each other and clashes between their history and culture, together, paint a colorful and diverse picture of Taiwan." Data courtesy of: http://www1.etat.com/slyart/expo2006/0318/page_01.htm
13: Elsa Hsiang-Chun Chen, City of Swallows: Migration, Post / Colonial Memory and New Taiwan Color, Artist Magazine, Issue No. 369 (February 2005), pp. 152-153.
14: Wu, Ericamigo, Flying to the City of Swallows—New Immigrants, New Taiwan, eslite Reader, May 2005 Issue, pp. 72-74, 76-79.
15: Ibid.
16: Lo, Sandy Hsiu-Chih. Places: Shifting Artistic Fields, Journal of Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Issue No. 32 (2016), pp. 66-93.
17: Chen, Elsa Hsiang-Chun. City of Swallows: Migration, Post / Colonial Memory and New Taiwan Color, Pots Weekly, Issue No. 403.
18: Doreen Massey, “A Global Sense of Place,” Situation, Claire Doherty (ed.), London: Whitechaple Gallery, 2009, pp.160-169. 
19: Huang, Chien-Hung. The Maiden Voyage of POST.O Maru and I, data courtesy of: http://www.itpark.com.tw/columnist/artcritic/61/1089 (Date of access: November 4, 2021)
20: Wang, Yung-Lin. We Seep Into Each Other's Blood and Observe Ourselves Through Each Other|New Directions: Trans-pleX Weaving Platform, data courtesy of: http://www.itpark.com.tw/people/essays_data/704/1276 (Date of access: December 24, 2021)
21: Source: “An exhibition is a perpetual redefinition of things, a sort of permanent refutation.” JoëlleTuerlinckx, Lexicon: A Compendium of Terms for Exhibition Matters/Materials, WIELS: Centre d'Art Contemporain, Brussels, 2012。