Theater
Canadian theater company Lemieux.Pilon 4D Art uses innovative virtual technology in Norman, a multimedia production that combines elements of theater, dance, cinema and music to examine the life of award-winning animator and filmmaker Norman McLaren. Directed by Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon, the work combines film and animation in a solo piece where dancer and choreographer Peter Trosztmer interacts with projected images.
▲National Theater, Taipei City
▲Today and tomorrow at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,500, available through available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Italian theater company Compagnia T.P.O. fuses dance, visual art, mechanical installation and lighting effects in The Japanese Garden, an interactive children’s theatrical play.
▲National Experimental Theater, Taipei City
▲Today at 5pm and 8pm, tomorrow at 10:30am, 2:30pm and 8pm, Sunday at 10:30am and 2:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$600, available through available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Choreographer Jade Hua (華碧玉) combines a classical approach with modern techniques in Jade & Artists Dance Troupe’s (肢體音符舞團) latest dance, Vipashyana. [See story on Page 15.]
▲Novel Hall (新舞臺), 3-1 Songshou S Rd, Taipei City (台北市松壽路3-1號)
▲Today and tomorrow at 7:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$500 to NT$1,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Stand-up comedy meets the musical in My Goodness!!??, a lighthearted and humorous examination of Taiwan’s consumption of American culture staged by Yumiko’s Warehouse Theater (裕美子的倉庫劇團).
▲Crown Art Center Theater (皇冠小劇場), B1, 50, Ln 120, Dunhua N Rd, Taipei City (台北市敦化北路120巷50號B1)
▲Today at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$350, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Based on British playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker’s play of the same title, After Darwin by MOVE Theatre Group (動見体劇團) dramatizes Charles Darwin’s idea of survival of the fittest in this play-within-a-play centered around conflicts between Darwin and Robert FitzRoy, the Bible-toting captain of the HMS Beagle, and the two actors who play the respective characters.
▲National Taiwan University Theater (台大劇場), 1, Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路段四段1號)
▲Today at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
▲Admission is free
Classical
In Zheng Recital Over the Stars (眼神與星空的對話), zheng specialists Fan Wei-tzu (樊慰慈) and Huang Wen-ling (黃文玲) share the stage with Little Giant Chinese Chamber Orchestra (小巨人絲竹樂團) to present arrangements of traditional works and the world premiere of Fan’s Spirit of the Eyes (眼神).
▲National Recital Hall, Taipei City
▲Tomorrow at 7:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$300 to NT$700, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Sounds From Pampas (彭巴斯草原之音) presents harpist Giselle Boeters, who will perform with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra (臺北市立交響樂團) under guest conductor Georg Fritzsch. The program will include Kagel’s Variations Without Fugue, Ginastera’s Harp Concerto, Op. 25 and Debussy’s Images Pour Orchestre.
▲Zhongshan Hall (台北市中山堂), 98 Yenping S Rd, Taipei City (台北市延平南路98號)
▲Tomorrow at 7:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$200 to NT$800, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Contemporary
The Taipei County Government’s Bitan Music Festival (碧潭音樂節) continues every weekend until March 29 with free outdoor performances at the Bitan (碧潭) riverside area outside of Xindian MRT Station. Tomorrow’s program features Vietnamese singer and guitarist Toan Nguyen (全阮). On Sunday it’s Blue Sky (藍天樂團), a rock group formed by Thai migrant workers that plays regularly in Taipei County.
▲The festival takes place at the Bitan riverside area, just outside of Xindian MRT Station (新店捷運站). For more information and full schedule, visit www.2009bmf.com.tw
▲Shows go from 3pm to 5pm, Saturdays and Sundays until March 29
▲No admission fee
Tomorrow VU Live House hosts The Rock ’n’ Roll Circus, a night of rockabilly, punk and indie rock with The Deadly Vibes, Tainan rockabilly group Fullhouse, expat comedy-rock band Chrome Relic, indie-rock favorites 88 Balaz (八十八顆芭樂籽) and Japanese rockabilly and swing band The Drexel. [See story on Page 13.]
▲B1, 77, Wuchang St Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市武昌街二段77號B1). Tel: (02) 2314-1868
▲Show begins at 9pm
▲Entrance fee is NT$350, includes one drink
Tonight at The Wall (這牆) it’s Melt Banana, an experimental Japanese noise-rock band with a large following in the US and Europe [see story above]. Metal band Ashen and DJ Two and Half Stars (兩星半) open the show. Taking to the stage tomorrow is pop rock band Lumei (露魅), hip-hop rockers Living Force (存活勢力) and punk group Beright. On Sunday it’s electronica and rock groups Yoga Soul, Green!Eyes (綠色眼睛) and Telephone Booth (電話亭). On Wednesday, the venue hosts French singers Coralie Clement and Berry in a show sponsored by the French Institute in Taipei.
▲B1, 200, Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路四段200號B1). Call (02) 2930-0162 or visit www.thewall.com.tw for more information
▲Starts at 9pm tonight, 9:30pm tomorrow, 8pm on Sunday and 7pm on Wednesday
▲Entrance fee is NT$800 tonight, NT$400 tomorrow and NT$300 on Sunday. Wednesday’s show is NT$880 for advance tickets (contact the venue for details) or NT$1,000 at the door
Acoustic act Lao Die (老爹) performs tonight at Witch House (女巫店), along with folk rock group Windmill (風籟坊). Tomorrow it’s indie-rockers Neon, led by charismatic singer/songwriter Jun Lee (李昀熹). Grunge rockers The Capelin (柳葉魚) and solo acoustic artist Gelresai (陳世川) appear on Thursday.
▲7, Ln 56, Xinsheng S Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市新生南路三段56巷7號). For more information, call (02) 2362-5494 or visit www.witchhouse.org
▲Performances start at 9:30pm. Restaurant/bar with queer/feminist bookstore and large collection of board games open 11am to midnight Sundays through Wednesdays; 11am to 1am Thursdays through Saturdays
▲Entrance fee for music shows is NT$300, includes one drink
Veteran jazz combo JEG (這個爵士樂團) plays standards, Latin, funk, rock and fusion tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言). Tomorrow the venue hosts its 2009 White Day Music Concert, while the Wen Rhythm Jazz Band takes to the stage on Sunday. Newcomers io open up for alt-rock group Neon on Thursday.
▲B1, 2, Ln 244, Roosevelt Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路三段244巷2號B1), next to Taipower Building (台電大樓). Call (02) 2368-7310 or visit www.riverside.com.tw for more information
▲Show starts at 9:30pm tonight and 9pm tomorrow, Sunday and Thursday
▲Entrance is NT$400 tonight and tomorrow, NT$450 on Sunday and NT$350 on Thursday, includes one drink
Tomorrow at Riverside Live House (西門紅樓展演館), pop singer Victor Wong (品冠) performs at the venue’s White Day Party. Dress code is white.
▲177 Xining S Rd, Taipei City (台北市西寧南路177號). Call (02) 2370-8805 or visit www.riverside.com.tw for more information
▲Show starts at 8:30pm
▲Entrance fee is NT$500, includes one drink.
Jazz Your Mind plays tonight at Sappho de Base, while Blues Vibrations, a band that plays blues, surf rock and jam band music, performs tomorrow night. On Tuesday it’s the venue’s open jam, and on Wednesday the Chris Stiles Jazz Trio performs original music. Grace’s Jazz Trio appears on Thursday.
▲B1, 1, Ln 102, Anhe Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市安和路一段102巷1號B1). Call (02) 2700-5411 (after 9pm) or visit www.sappho102.biz for more information
▲Performances begin at 10:30pm on weekends, 10pm on weekdays
▲No admission fee
Every Wednesday night at the Cosmopolitan Grill there’s a blues open mic held by the Blues Society on Taiwan. All are welcome to bring their instruments and sit in on guitar, bass or drums.
▲1F, 218 Changchun Rd, Taipei City (台北市長春路218號1樓). Call (02) 2508-0304 or visit www.cosmo.com.tw for more information
▲8pm to 11pm every Wednesday
▲No admission fee
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights this week include Huang Chung-yuan (黃中原) tomorrow, Julia Peng (彭佳慧), a major draw who appears every Tuesday, and Liu Wei-zen (劉偉仁) on Tuesday and Wednesday.
211, Anhe Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市安和路二段211號). Call (02) 2738-3995 or visit www.ez5.com.tw for more information
▲Music shows run from 9:45pm to 12:30am
▲Entrance (including two drinks) ranges from NT$600 to NT$850, depending on the performer. Call venue for exact fees
Mortal Jolies and Hi-Life Wedding appear tonight at Underworld(地下社會). Taking to the stage tomorrow are punk band Inhuman Species (非人物種) and Dangzai Kongzhong (蕩在空中). On Wednesday it’s metal rockers Y-Chromosone (搞固童) and screamo band Vanish.
▲B1, 45 Shida Rd, Taipei City (台北市師大路45號B1). Call (02) 2369-0103 or visit www.upsaid.com/underworld for more information
▲Shows are from 9:30pm to 11:30pm and 9pm to 11pm on Wednesdays. Bar open from 9pm daily, closed on Mondays
▲Entrance is NT$300 tonight and tomorrow and includes one drink; Wednesday’s show is NT$100
Exhibition
The natural cycle of growth and decay informs The Day I Saw Past and Future Sceneries Playing (那天我看見昨天和明天風景在遊戲), a solo exhibition by Jang Tarng-kuh (張堂庫). Employing a visual aesthetic that harks back to a Japanese-style of painting called nihonga, Jung’s pastoral canvases depict scenes of overgrown gardens, running brooks and mountains shrouded in mist.
▲Metaphysical Art Gallery (形而上畫廊), 7F, 219, Dunhua S Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市敦化南路一段219號7樓). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 11am to 6:30pm. On the Net: www.artmap.com.tw
▲Saturday until April 8
Li An-cheng Solo Exhibition (晨暮中的行星—李安成當代水墨跨年個展) features 50 works by one of Taiwan’s foremost ink painters.
▲Soaring Cloud Art Center (上雲藝術中心), 7F, 11 Dayung Rd, Kaohsiung City (高雄市大勇路11號7樓). Open Tuesdays to Fridays from 11am to 6pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 8pm. Tel: (07) 533-1755. On the Net: www.sc-art.org.tw
▲Until March 29
Explore is a group exhibition that includes works by Hubert Cance, Iskren Semkov and Luiz Cavalli. The artists hailing from France, Bulgaria and Brazil use abstraction, expressionism and realism to “explore” landscape and still life.
▲X-Power Gallery, 98, Xinyi Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市信義路四段98號). Open Mondays to Thursdays from 11am to 6pm and Fridays and Saturdays from 11am to 8pm. Tel: (02) 2708-0929. On the Net: www.xpgallery.com.tw
▲Until March 31
The Yingge Ceramics Museum investigates the human form in Passionate Beings: Contemporary Ceramics of Museum Collection (多情.人—當代陶藝典藏展), an exhibit that brings together 35 sculptures from its permanent collection.
▲Yingge Ceramics Museum (鶯歌陶瓷博物館), 200 Wenhua Rd, Yinge Township, Taipei County (台北縣鶯歌鎮文化路200號). Open Tuesdays to Fridays from 9:30am to 5pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30am to 6pm. Tel: (02) 8677-2727. On the Net: www.ceramics.tpc.gov.tw
▲Until April 19
Easy Plastics is a group exhibition by 11 up-and-coming Taiwanese artists who use sculpture, installation and design to investigate plastic and its metaphorical applications to our society.
▲Taipei National University of Arts, Guandu Museum of Arts (台北藝術大學關渡美術館), 1 Xueyuan Rd, Beitou Dist, Taipei City (台北市北投區學園路1號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm. Tel: (02) 2896-1000 X2432. On the Net: kdmofa.tnua.edu.tw
▲Until March 29
Ancient Pottery of the Paiwan Tribe in Taiwan (祖靈的居所—台灣排灣族古陶壺特展) shows how ceramics are closely associated with the legends of the Paiwan tribe’s origins, and how pottery helps to perpetuate the tribe’s social hierarchy.
▲National Museum of Natural Science (國立自然科學博物館), 1, Kuanchien Rd, Taichung City (台中市館前路1號). Open daily from 9am to 5pm. Closed Mondays. On the Net: www.nmns.edu.tw
▲Until May 17
The God of Earth in Taiwan (台灣土地公特展) explains the origins of the Earth God (土地公) and why it continues to play an important role in folk worship throughout the country.
▲National Museum of Natural Science (國立自然科學博物館), 1, Kuanchien Rd, Taichung City (台中市館前路1號). Open daily from 9am to 5pm. Closed Mondays. On the Net: www.nmns.edu.tw
▲Until May 31
The Art and Aesthetics of Form: Selections from the History of Chinese Painting (造型與美感—中國繪畫的發展). Beginning with the Six Dynasties period and moving up to the Qing Dynasty, is a selection of individual works from the National Palace Museum’s collection of ink paintings arranged chronologically to provide an overview of some of the major traditions and movements in Chinese painting.
▲National Palace Museum (國立故宮博物院), 221, Zhishan Rd Sec 2, Shilin Dist, Taipei City (台北市士林區至善路二段221號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9am to 5pm, closes at 8:30pm on Saturdays. Tel: (02) 2881-2021. On the Net: www.npm.gov.tw
▲Until March 25
Madden Reality: Post-Taipei Art Group (叛離異象:後台北畫派) features 72 works by eight of Taiwan’s most well-respected contemporary artists.
▲Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM), 181, Zhongshan N Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市中山北路三段181號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9:30am to 5:30pm, closes at 8:30pm on Saturdays. Tel: (02) 2595-7656. On the Net: www.tfam.museum
▲Until April 5
Nov. 11 to Nov. 17 People may call Taipei a “living hell for pedestrians,” but back in the 1960s and 1970s, citizens were even discouraged from crossing major roads on foot. And there weren’t crosswalks or pedestrian signals at busy intersections. A 1978 editorial in the China Times (中國時報) reflected the government’s car-centric attitude: “Pedestrians too often risk their lives to compete with vehicles over road use instead of using an overpass. If they get hit by a car, who can they blame?” Taipei’s car traffic was growing exponentially during the 1960s, and along with it the frequency of accidents. The policy
Hourglass-shaped sex toys casually glide along a conveyor belt through an airy new store in Tokyo, the latest attempt by Japanese manufacturer Tenga to sell adult products without the shame that is often attached. At first glance it’s not even obvious that the sleek, colorful products on display are Japan’s favorite sex toys for men, but the store has drawn a stream of couples and tourists since opening this year. “Its openness surprised me,” said customer Masafumi Kawasaki, 45, “and made me a bit embarrassed that I’d had a ‘naughty’ image” of the company. I might have thought this was some kind
What first caught my eye when I entered the 921 Earthquake Museum was a yellow band running at an angle across the floor toward a pile of exposed soil. This marks the line where, in the early morning hours of Sept. 21, 1999, a massive magnitude 7.3 earthquake raised the earth over two meters along one side of the Chelungpu Fault (車籠埔斷層). The museum’s first gallery, named after this fault, takes visitors on a journey along its length, from the spot right in front of them, where the uplift is visible in the exposed soil, all the way to the farthest
The room glows vibrant pink, the floor flooded with hundreds of tiny pink marbles. As I approach the two chairs and a plush baroque sofa of matching fuchsia, what at first appears to be a scene of domestic bliss reveals itself to be anything but as gnarled metal nails and sharp spikes protrude from the cushions. An eerie cutout of a woman recoils into the armrest. This mixed-media installation captures generations of female anguish in Yun Suknam’s native South Korea, reflecting her observations and lived experience of the subjugated and serviceable housewife. The marbles are the mother’s sweat and tears,
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