INTERVIEW: Taiwan Artist Hopes for More Cultural Exchanges with Japan

By Sakurako Nakagawa Chiayi, Taiwan, April 5 (Jiji Press)–Taiwanese artist Wang Wen-chih, who created one of the highlights of this year’s Taiwan Lantern Festival, has expressed hope for cultural exchanges with Japan through art, recalling his experience at art festivals there. For the 13-day lantern festival through March 15 in the Taiwanese city of Chiayi, Wang, a local native, made a large dome-like installation using local bamboo in the shape of a traditional hat of Taiwanese farmers. His installation, named “A New Path of Light: The Chiayi Dream,” was so large that visitors were able to enter and sit or lie on the circle floor. Upon entry, the calming smell of bamboo and sunlight shining through the framework warmly greeted visitors. “I created this to allow people to feel nature and communicate with strangers,” Wang said in a recent interview. The most interesting part of such a huge event is that “people from different countries and different cultures are gathered in one place,” he said, emphasizing that art has the power to remove barriers between strangers. He recalled the experience of constructing an artwork with local people when he participated in the Setouchi Triennale, held mainly in the western Japan prefecture of Kagawa, in 2025. “They were very kind to me and told me many local stories,” he smiled. Wang said that some people even got married after meeting at his installation. “While creating an artwork in a foreign place with local people, we always talk about each other, and it is always a fruitful time,” he said. “With the (lantern) festival, I hope Chiayi will become a place for such happy encounters.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]