On-site at the Hsinchu Art Expo press conference. Photo provided by Hsinchu Art Expo.

Sam Tseng said that in recent years, Hsinchu has repeatedly ranked as the highest-earning county/city in Taiwan. However, many local residents who visit the exhibition have not had the experience of visiting galleries or engaging in art collecting. Therefore, apart from leading various regional galleries, the Hsinchu Art Expo aims to inject art and culture into the local community. The suspension of the exhibition due to the pandemic has provided more time to face the rapid changes in Taiwan's art market. Hence, Formosa Art Fair has been contemplating on how to enhance the exhibition's content. This year, they have strengthened their collaboration with the Hsinchu City Cultural Affairs Bureau, providing the conference with more local cultural information as reference and promotional channels. As a result, compared to the previous two editions, there are significant improvements in the invitation list for VIPs, staffing, and public participation in the exhibition.

Great Seal Art / GSA Gallery (Booth number 1908) presents works by several artists including Cao Wenrui, Gao Yuquan, Lin Guowei, Zhang Shifei, and Xiao Yimei. (Image/Art Emperor.)

Rich Art Gallery (Booth number 1928) presents works by artists including Cai Weicheng, Wang Xiaobo, Bai Tianyu Zhu Ye, and Mo Bai. (Image/Art Emperor.)

Ting Ting Art Space (Booth numbers 1923, 1924) showcases the works of artist Yoshihiko Yoshida. (Image/Art Emperor.)

 

Richard CHANG, the founder of Formosa Art Fair, also mentioned that in recent years, the economic development of Hsinchu has been steadily growing. Compared to Taipei, Taichung, or Kaohsiung, the number of art galleries in Hsinchu has been increasing. Although it still cannot compete with other regions, the growth of galleries is directly proportional to the purchasing power. As the largest gathering place for Taiwan's technology industry, Hsinchu has many potential art collectors waiting to be developed. The role that Hsinchu Art Expo plays in Taiwan's art industry is an important starting point.

 

 Apart from being the founder of Formosa Art Fair, Richard CHANG also has two exhibition spaces in his own gallery,Galerie Grand Siècle (Booth numbers 1901, 1912). These spaces present artists from different creative dimensions. For example, they showcase the oil paintings of Hsu Kuo-yu (1972-) and the steel artwork of Vietnamese emerging artist Vu Thanh Minh. Another space features Liu Yilan (1966-), known for her strong personal style and self-portrait paintings, as well as Liu Guosong (1932-), hailed as the "Father of Modern Ink Painting." They also bring the silk prints of Japanese abstract artist Kimura Hideki (1948-). Richard CHANG explained that most collectors go through a journey when purchasing artwork, and the positioning of hotel-type art expos is mostly aimed at "facilitating entry into art collecting." Therefore, when considering the presentation of the exhibition, they tend to focus on diverse artistic mediums and artists. This provides options that are accessible for new collectors in terms of pricing while also serving established collectors who already have their own collecting context.

Artworks by artist Hsu Kuo-yu at the Galerie Grand Siècle exhibition space (Booth numbers 1901, 1912).  (Image/Art Emperor.)

Artworks by artist Liu Yilan at the Galerie Grand Siècle exhibition space (Booth numbers 1901, 1912).  (Image/Art Emperor.)

Imavision Gallery (Booth number 1916) also adopts the same curatorial approach, showcasing artists ranging from emerging to mid-career, including Danny Amazonas's (1947-) fiber art, Yuko Nagayama's (1963-) watercolor, and Sheng-Yuan Hsu's (1987-) acrylic paintings. This opportunity allows viewers to see the diverse dimensions of the gallery's regular operations. In addition, the exhibition features ceramic works by two represented artists of the gallery, Chen Jun jie (1994-2022) and Chen Zi yun (1993-2022), who tragically passed away in a car accident just days before the exhibition. Gallery founder Eric Chen said that he was initially drawn to Chen Zi yun's artwork by her use of the coiling technique, creating exquisite textures, unique color combinations, and intricate layers that form distinctive flower shapes, making her a highly regarded emerging artist. Though she has become an angel, her continuous artistic creations throughout her short career will forever be cherished in this world.

Imavision Gallery (Booth numbers 1916 ) (Image/Art Emperor.)Imavision Gallery (Booth numbers 1916 ) Left: Artwork by Chen Junjie. Right: Artwork by Chen Ziyun (Image/Art Emperor.)


 

In addition, this exhibition also showcases a variety of print works brought by many galleries, providing the audience with an accessible channel to enter the world of art collecting. Especially at the Julia Gallery (Booth No. 1926), there are print works by artists from different generations, including Zao Wou-Ki (1920-2013), Chu Teh Chun (1920-2014), Yayoi Kusama (1929-), Chen Chi-Mao (1920-2005), Wu Hao (1932-2019), Yang Jiongde (1966-), Pan Rensong (1966-), Su Yu-ting (1984-), and Xu Yixuan. 
 

Julia Gallery  can be considered the cradle of realism artists, tirelessly promoting realistic painting. However, in recent art exhibitions, the gallery's curatorial direction has become more diverse and enriched. This thematic exhibition approach not only allows local residents to witness the development and transformation of printmaking in different periods in Taiwan but also aims to familiarize the audience with the gallery's research and promotion of various artistic media.

Julia Gallery (Booth No. 1926) showcasesRen song Pan's print works. (Image/Art Emperor.)

Julia Gallery  (Booth No. 1926) exhibition scene. Image / Retrieved from Julia Gallery's Facebook fan page.

Yuli Art (Booth No. 1905), which focuses primarily on contemporary ink art, brings artworks by artists from Taiwan, France, and also presents works by Chinese artists showcasing different creative styles. Particularly, artists like Zhi mi Li (1979-) from Shanghai exhibit exquisitely detailed screen prints and rare long scroll ink creations. Through simple forms and colors, the artwork depicts various aspects of life.Zhi mi Li, who enjoys reading poetry, explores an aesthetic sensibility that resonates with the spirit of the times and modern aesthetics. While exuding the refined taste of literati painting, his work also reveals a sense of freedom in life. Another Chinese artist, Wang Dazhi (1971-), incorporates traditional Chinese craft techniques such as cloisonné and porcelain painting into his paintings. Using bold lines and flat colors, he depicts plant forms with an Eastern aesthetic touch through the medium of Western oil painting.

Yuli Art (Booth No. 1905) presents artworks by Zhi mi Li.(Image/Art Emperor.)

Yuli Art (Booth No. 1905) presents artworks by Zhi mi Li.(Image/Art Emperor.)

For many years, the Ming Dian Gallery (Booth No. 1919) has been cultivating the works of esteemed Russian artists. Recently, they have been gradually transforming their exhibition direction in art expos. In this year's Hsinchu Art Expo, they are showcasing artworks by French artists Jade Fenu, Nathalie Roure Perrier, and Polish artist Roman Klonek. Klonek combines contemporary-style figures or animal forms with the color schemes of old-fashioned cartoons. Through the medium of woodblock printmaking, he presents a fusion of past and present symbolic languages. His works captivate viewers with their high saturation of ink and imaginative compositions.

名典畫廊（展間編號1919）。圖 / 非池中藝術網攝影。

名典畫廊（展間編號1919）展出羅曼・克洛內克（Roman Klonek）作品。圖 / 非池中藝術網攝影。

而新竹在地的藝文機構新竹市鐵道藝術村（展間編號1820），由新竹市政府文化局委託財團法人智邦藝術基金會經營，以「培育及扶植藝術家」及「發展藝術教育」出發，並以藝術為媒介，為具備文化資產身份的鐵道藝術村及其周邊鄰里，注入新活力。而此次他們帶來三位新銳藝術家的作品，包含曾貞源（1992-）、林君晏（1994-），以及馬利歐.維恩伯格（Mario WEINBERG，1988-）。三位藝術家的作品皆以現代人面對到大量影像資訊，卻忽略掉散於生活當中最平凡、最日常的軌跡為出發，在表現形式上卻有著個人喚起對物件記憶的方式。

新竹市鐵道藝術村展覽現場（展間編號1820）。圖 / 非池中藝術網攝影。

新竹市鐵道藝術村展覽現場（展間編號1820）。圖 / 非池中藝術網攝影。

在藝術市場方面，新竹與其他縣市相比仍像一塊白板，大苑藝術以新竹藝博向竹塹城（新竹舊名）敲門，期盼能夠打開台灣藝術收藏的新藍海，因此對於參展畫廊來說，新竹藝博的展出平台，更是能夠主動觸及和開發本地藏家的最好機會。雖然作為博覽會新品牌，在銷售成績或觀展人潮仍須面對不少挑戰，但是隨著主辦單位不斷向外擴及與更多在地藝文機構合作，展會的地位和個性也將逐漸搭建起來。

而為了與當地民眾產生連結，新竹藝博在展覽期間特別安排兩場主題論壇，分別為「宇宙網絡－藝術家跨界。跨界藝術家對話」以及「當藝術來到科技城市/元宇宙、NFT、區塊鏈應用」，帶領觀眾了解藝術是如何與科技或跨領域產業合作，同時亦扮演著推廣藝術的角色，讓當代藝術更加落實於新竹本地。

意識畫廊（展間編號1921）展覽現場。圖 / 非池中藝術網攝影。

意識畫廊（展間編號1921）展覽現場。圖 / 非池中藝術網攝影。

伊日藝術計劃（展間編號1816）展覽現場。圖 / 非池中藝術網攝影。