A virtual pavilion featuring the works of Taiwanese artists is being presented by the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair this year, the agency said on Saturday.
The Italy-based event is not only a platform dedicated to the international children’s book trade, but also leads the latest trends in global illustration, the agency said.
In its 59th year, the fair is to be held online from today through Thursday, it said.
Curated by TAICCA, the theme of the Taiwan Pavilion is “To live is to create.”
The key visual of the online presentation was designed by illustrator and designer Croter Hung (洪添賢), the agency said, adding that 298 publications recommended by 64 publishers are displayed in the virtual pavilion.
“This year, we’re not only promoting Taiwan’s illustration and publishing industries to the world, but also incorporating cross-industry collaboration,” TAICCA chief executive officer Lee Ming-che (李明哲) said.
Taiwanese children’s books and illustrations have performed exceptionally at this year’s fair, the agency said.
Lin Lian-en’s (林廉恩) Home, published by the Papa Publishing House, received the prestigious Bologna Ragazzi Award in the fiction category, it said.
Animo Chen’s (阿尼默) Love Letter (情批), published by Locus Publishing, received special mention in the poetry category of the Bologna Ragazzi Award, it said.
This year’s official selection at the fair includes 77 artists selected from among 3,235 applicants, it said.
Eight of them are Taiwanese: Chang Hsiao-chi (張筱琦), Huang Yu-chen (黃右禎), Hsueh Hui-yin (薛慧瑩), Huang Yi-wen (黃一文), Cho Pei-hsin (卓霈欣), Dai Wei-chun (戴維君), Chen Yi-chin (陳怡今) and Chen Wei-hsuan (陳瑋璿), it said.
Two other Taiwanese artists — Poppy Li (李品萱) and Chang Tzu-chun (張梓鈞) — were featured in the “Children Spectators” section, it said, adding that they were among 35 illustrators who won a competition to be included this year.
The agency said that it is partnering with the Animation and Visual Effects Association to promote the featured artists with a series of short animations, which can be found on TAICCA’s YouTube channel.
The Taiwan Pavilion can be visited online at https://taiwan-bcbf.taicca.tw/2021/.
Meanwhile, Taiwanese director Joe Hsieh’s (謝文明) animated film Night Bus won the short film category of the Grand Competition at Animafest Zagreb in Croatia on Saturday.
The 20-minute Night Bus tells the story of a necklace being stolen on a bus ride along the coast and a subsequent fatal accident.
Hsieh said that he restarted making the short film after working with Hong Kong director Yonfan (楊凡), because the experience taught him the importance of detail.
He said that the film uses Mandarin and Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese) to reflect real life in Taiwan, adding that Hoklo adds emotion and charm to the animation.
As Animafest Zagreb is on the list of qualifying festivals for the Oscars, Hsieh’s latest win gives him the opportunity to compete in next year’s Academy Awards.
Additional reporting by CNA
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