The Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts yesterday apologized for forbidding children from copying paintings by freehand drawing, saying it welcomes visitors to make sketches of paintings on drawing tablets or sketchpads.
The museum issued the remark after a museumgoer nicknamed “Mickeyelk Gesner” on Thursday posted on Facebook that her son had been sketching a painting by Pablo Picasso on a tablet computer at the exhibition “Capturing the Moment” on Wednesday when a museum worker told him to stop drawing.
“The staff told us, ‘Only taking photos is allowed. No copying. This is a rule,’” she quoted the worker as saying.
Photo: CNA
Physician Lee Chia-yan (李佳燕), who witnessed the incident at the museum, on Friday said in a Facebook post that she was appalled by the staff’s handling of the matter, which was “totally at odds with the common practice of the world’s leading arts museums.”
“Arts museums should not be haughty and condescending to visitors. It is not a place for adults to be arty and phony, but rather a place pleasantly accessible to people, especially to children,” Lee said.
The museum is “a public good” of the city and should help to nurture children’s ability to create and appreciate the arts, Lee added.
The museum yesterday said that it expects to align with international practices and create better experiences for visitors as a social and educational institution that allows for the enjoyment of art.
It apologized to the public for causing disputes due to inappropriate management and communications, and pledged to improve staff training to provide visitor-friendly services.
Museum visitors are allowed to make sketches on drawing tablets or sketchpads at exhibition sites, with detailed information provided on the museum’s Web site, it said, adding that everyone is welcome to explore the classic artworks created by renowned international artists during the summer vacation.
The Chimei Museum, a prestigious museum in Tainan, and the UK’s Tate Modern, one of the museums that contributed artworks to the Kaohsiung museum’s exhibition, allow visitors to copy paintings through freehand drawing, Facebook fan page “Takao Gooday” (高雄好過日) said on Friday.
“The entire incident indicates that the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, being a hub of arts in southern Taiwan with a 30-year history, has a disappointing attitude toward arts education and promotion,” Takao Gooday added.
“Copying” and “freehand drawing” are two different things when it comes to visitors drawing to mimic a painting, literary and historical worker Wei Tsong-jou (魏聰洲) said in a Facebook post on Friday.
“One would have to file an application to ‘copy’ painting exhibits and undergo a review afterwards,” Wei said. “‘Free drawing’ does not require any application and is considered a way of appreciating artworks in terms of museum education.”
The museum seemed to be “unable to differentiate freehand drawing from copying” and made the child “feel as though he had made a mistake and fearfully asked to leave the spot,” Wei said.
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday expressed “grave concerns” after Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) reiterated the city-state’s opposition to “Taiwanese independence” during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李強). In Singapore on Saturday, Wong and Li discussed cross-strait developments, the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “Prime Minister Wong reiterated that Singapore has a clear and consistent ‘one China’ policy and is opposed to Taiwan independence,” it said. MOFA responded that it is an objective fact and a common understanding shared by many that the Republic of China (ROC) is an independent, sovereign nation, with world-leading
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
DEFENDING FREEDOM: Taiwanese love peace and helping others, and hope to be a positive force in the world, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim told ‘Weltspiegel’ Taiwan is making every effort to prevent war in the face of China’s hybrid coercion tactics and military threats, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said in an interview with German public broadcaster ARD’s program Weltspiegel that aired on Monday. Taiwan is not seeking provocation or intending to disrupt international order, but “must possess the capacity for self-defense,” a news release issued by the Presidential Office yesterday quoted her as saying. Taiwan is closely watching not only the increasing scope and frequency of Chinese military exercises around the nation, but also Beijing’s hybrid and cognitive warfare tactics, including manipulating public opinion, fostering
RSS