2003洄瀾國際藝術家創作營

Introduction of Artists’ Workshop

Hwei Lan International Artists’ Workshop is sponsored by The Taiwan Council for Cultural Affairs, Executive Yuan; The Hualien Cultural Heritage Foundation and The Triangle Art Trust in UK.

The workshop will be held at Hualien’s scenic Pine Grove. Centre

The city of Haulien is located on Taiwan’s East Coast, facing the Pacific Ocean. In the 17th century the Portuguese sailed to Taiwan, calling at the port of Hualien and were amazed by the beauty of the island. That’s how the name “Formosa,” meaning “Beautiful Island” came to be.

Hualien’s isolation makes it far less polluted and developed than other areas on the island. The beauty of the scenery has earned the region a reputation for being Taiwan’s last pure land.

Hwei Lan is the old name for Hualien, used in the Ching Dynasty. Early Immigrants came by ship to Hualien. Passage proved dangerous and problems associated with disembarking from the ship was also called “Hwei Lan,” a Classical Chinese term meaning “dangerous waves.” They had to get by the Chi Lan Bi cliffs, a rocky place fraught with dangers before reaching the beach at Nan Bing.

The majority of the 24 artists invited come from Taiwan. International artists have been invited fromAgentina,NewZealand,UK,Tibet,SouthAfrica,Bangaldesh,India,Japan, China and Georgia,Armenia,USA.

.We make no distinction between traditional or contemporary artists. Perhaps we can break down barriers that divide, such that old, tired ideas and distinctions can be stripped away. In this setting, the original terms in which art thrives may be rediscovered. Each place carries its own influence, and it is hoped that contact with Hualien may imprint an influence not overshadowed by over-riding aesthetic concerns of the “art world.”

This workshop will be established in close collaboration with the Triangle Art Trust. The spirit of this foundation seeks to create the space where artists, from different nations’ tribes and cultures can work together. When people of different backgrounds, cultures, and languages get together, a unique experiment is set underway. This affords an exchange through the lens of different art, aesthetics, experiences and the rare perspective allowed by such contact.

The workshop’s main objectives are as follows:

1. To establish points of contact between artists who may experiment in a positive arena.
2. To make the connections between countries grow by artists from various countries working together, realizing international exchange of ideas and practice.
3. To provide an arena to discuss problems shared by artists of all countries
4. Through the Open Day to create an audience for contemporary art and to familiarise the public to the process of art making
5. To create websites, a catalog, and other forms of documentation as records of art making and artistic exchange available to the public and to other artists after the workshop is over.