The Executive Yuan has approved a proposal from the Ministry of Culture to allocate NT$1.4 billion (approximately US$43.58 million) over four years for the establishment of the National Tainan Art Museum. This funding will also support research and promotion of Taiwanese opera, art, music, literature, and architecture.
The project, named 'Rebuilding Taiwanese Art History 2.0', was proposed after the successful completion of a seven-year initiative. From 2018 to the present, the government allocated a special budget to reconstruct the nation’s art history through a collaboration between private and government sectors, according to the ministry.
The project helped bring back from the US paintings by Taiwanese artists collected by Sun Ten Pharmaceutical Co-founder Hsu Hong-yen, it said. Sweet Dew, a marble sculpture by Huang Tu-shui, was rediscovered 50 years after it was lost and is on display at the Tokyo University of Arts, Huang’s alma mater, it said.
The ministry reported that it has acquired 867 works, restored over 8,000 pieces, and archived more than 90,000 documents. Additionally, it has published 456 books and audiovisual materials created by Taiwanese artists and organized 82 exhibitions covering art, craftsmanship, literature, and music. These exhibitions have attracted more than 3.62 million viewers.
“We want to deepen collective efforts to rebuild the nation’s art history and fulfill President William Lai’s National Project of Hope by introducing the Rebuilding Taiwanese Art History 2.0 project”, Department of Art Development Director Chou Ya-ching told a news conference after a Cabinet meeting in Taipei.
In addition to ongoing efforts to collect and research materials on Taiwanese art, music, and literature history, the recently approved budget by the Executive Yuan will also be used to gather and study documents related to Taiwanese opera and architecture. The funds will support the establishment of the National Tainan Art Museum, which will focus on research, exhibitions, and education concerning prominent Taiwanese artists. The preparatory office for the museum is set to begin operations on March 25 next year, according to the ministry.
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature in Tainan, the National Taiwanese Opera Center in Kaohsiung, and the Taiwan Music Institute and Taiwan Architecture Culture Center in Taipei will continue their efforts to preserve Taiwanese literature, opera, music, and architecture. Additionally, the ministry and the National Development Council will collaborate to ensure that the information collected through the project can be utilized for generative artificial intelligence applications and made accessible to the international community.
