Taipei: Taiwan is set to present an exciting cultural program titled “We Taiwan” from August 2-20 during the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the nation as an “island of miracles” with endless innovation, the Ministry of Culture announced on Thursday.
According to Focus Taiwan, “We Taiwan” was initially introduced by the ministry in May as part of Taiwan’s cultural agenda for Expo 2025. The program features an exhibition at “VS.,” a creative hub designed by renowned Osaka-born architect Tadao Ando, located in the Grand Green Osaka complex near Osaka Station. This avant-garde space, which debuted last year as part of the city’s Umekita urban regeneration initiative, is crafted for new media exhibitions and immersive events, boasting a 15-meter-high projection area.
The “Taiwan Spectrum” exhibition promises a sensory voyage through geography, history, culture, and contemporary art, utilizing light, shadow, and sound. It aims to chronicle the progression of Taiwanese visual art, featuring works from painters like Chen Cheng-po, Kuo Hsueh-hu, and Lin Yu-shan. It will also spotlight a new giant blue dye piece by Chen Ching-lin, a 2024 National Crafts Achievement Award recipient, inspired by Taiwan’s natural landscapes.
The exhibition will offer curated auditory experiences, including sounds from religious festivities, typhoons, bird songs, and urban soundscapes. Additionally, the creative team LuxuryLogico will present an adaptation of its “Hard, Hard” art installation, which employs sound and moving lights to depict everyday items, aiming to recreate past moments and evoke emotional responses.
“We Taiwan” will also feature dance performances by choreographer Huang Yi alongside the robot Kuka, screenings of Taiwanese films, and a literature exhibition at the Osaka City Central Public Hall, with outdoor performances scheduled at the venue’s East Plaza.
Furthermore, an illustration exhibition will be held at Nakanoshima Children’s Book Forest, complemented by performances of “Tiger Aunt” and chamber music concerts on the second and third weekends of August, as detailed on the event website https://wetaiwan.tw/en.
While admission to “We Taiwan” is free, some events require prior registration via the event’s Line account, the ministry stated.