On a sweltering summer day in Taipei in June 1998, the Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM) hosted an exhibition titled "Fields of Desire." Standing in the center of the exhibition space, Japanese curator Shusei Nanjio looked upon works from artists across Asia. He perhaps did not foresee that this exhibition would become a watershed moment in Taiwan's curatorial history—from this point forward, the imported concept of the "curator" began to take root in Taiwanese soil, developing its own unique local characteristics.
However, the true starting point actually occurred even earlier.
Prehistory: The Emergence of Curating within Institutions (1990–1996)
Curator's Note #1: On the translation of "curator"
At that time, we did not yet know how to refer to this role. Within the museum system, "curator" was translated as "researcher"; in an article published in Liesse Art (雄獅美術) in 1994, it was translated as "research personnel." It was not until 1998, after Lin Man-li invited Shusei Nanjio to Taiwan, that the term "curator" (策展人) gradually became standardized. This linguistic hesitation actually revealed a period of transition in professional perception.
In the early 1990s, while the concept of "independent curating" had already been developing in the West for twenty years, Taiwan's art institutions were only just beginning to realize the necessity of this emerging profession. During this era, institutions such as the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, the Taipei County Cultural Center, and the Ti Men Foundation began laying the foundational infrastructure for independent curating through collaborations with scholars within the art world.
The key figures of this stage were not the "curative" professionals we are familiar with today, but rather a group of specialists working quietly within institutions. During her tenure as Director of the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Lin Man-li not only drove the international transformation of the 1998 Taipei Biennial but, more importantly, established the institutional framework for inviting international curators. Hsu Wen-jui (徐文瑞) began accumulating curatorial experience in the 1990s, later becoming a co-curator for the "Lawless" (無法無天) exhibition at the second Taipei Biennial in 2000, setting a precedent for collaboration between Taiwanese curators and international partners.
The Wave of Internationalization: Biennials as Curatorial Laboratories (1998–2010)
The 1998 "Fields of Desire" was more than just a transformation for the Taipei Biennial; it was a catalyst for Taiwan's curatorial ecosystem. Shusei Nanjio brought not only an international perspective but also a complete curatorial methodology. This exhibition focused on cultural phenomena in Asian cities, providing a brand-new interpretive framework for Taiwanese contemporary art.
Following this, in 2000, Hsu Wen-jui and French curator Jérôme Sans co-curated "Lawless," formally establishing the "dual curator" system consisting of one foreign curator paired with one Taiwanese curator. The design philosophy behind this system was to cultivate Taiwanese curatorial talent capable of independently planning international exhibitions while integrating local contexts into the international biennial circuit.
From the lists of past curators of the Taipei Biennial, we can observe the gradual growth of Taiwanese curatorial talent:
- 1．1996: Hsiao Chung-jui, Lo Chih-cheng, Tsai Hung-ming, Li Chun-hsien, Hsieh Tung-shan, Lu Kuang (collective curatorial model)
- 1998: Shusei Nanjio (Japan, the first international curator)
- 2000: Hsu Wen-jui + Jérôme Sans (France, establishment of the dual curator system)
- 2008: Hsu Wen-jui (Taiwanese curator taking the lead solo)
Taiwan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale: The Struggle for International Discourse
Parallel to the development of the Taipei Biennial, the Taiwan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale became another important curatorial laboratory. Since Taiwan's first participation in 1995, the curatorial methods of the Taiwan Pavilion have undergone several transformations:
Phase 1 (1995–1999): Artist-selection system, focusing on the works themselves.
Phase 2 (1999–2015): Curator-competition system, beginning to emphasize discourse construction.
Phase 3 (2015–Present): Committee-recommendation system, emphasizing the international representation of artists.
The list of curators for the Taiwan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale records the practical journey of Taiwanese curators on the international stage. Notably, the curators trained here often possess stronger international language proficiency and cross-cultural communication skills.
The Rise of a New Generation: Diversification and Local Connection (2010–Present)
Entering the 2010s, the development of Taiwanese curators presented an even more diversified face. Following over a decade of accumulation, the curatorial subsidy system established by the National Arts Foundation (國藝會) since 2004 nurtured a new generation of talent.
Kung Chuo-chun (龔卓軍) is one of the representative figures of this generation. Starting with the curation of the Eslite Gallery exhibition "Have We Been Overworking?" in 2013, he gradually developed a curatorial methodology that combines fieldwork, editorial publishing, and local connections. His projects, such as "Near Future Encounters: 2017 Xiaolu International Contemporary Art Festival" and "A Thousand Names of Zengwen Creek: Mattauw Land Art Festival," opened new paths for the intersection of contemporary art and grassroots energy.
Lu Pei-yi represents another type of curator: the cross-disciplinary knowledge producer. She has accumulated rich teaching experience in academic institutions while remaining active in international curatorial scenes, having curated exhibitions in New York, Taiwan, China, and Venice. Her in-depth research into the selection mechanism of the Taiwan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale provides important reference for reflecting on Taiwan's curatorial systems.
Wang Chun-chieh, as an artist-curator, embodies the hybrid identity of Taiwanese curators. Having engaged in video art since 1984, he is one of the pioneers of new media art in Taiwan. After graduating from the Berlin University of the Arts in 1996, he gradually transformed his creative experience into curatorial practice, becoming one of the few Taiwanese curators possessing both international vision and technical expertise.
Curator's Note #2: Observations on Generational Differences
The new generation of Taiwanese curators possesses an interesting trait: they no longer need to choose between "internationalization" and "localization." They naturally possess a global perspective while maintaining deep concern for local culture. This dual identity allows them to propose more original curatorial discourses on the international stage.
An Unintuitive Discovery: The Overlooked History of Institutional Curators
When discussing the development of Taiwanese curators, there is a long-overlooked dimension: the institutional curator. As Lin Ping has pointed out, if we only emphasize independent curating, we overlook the historical contributions of curators within institutions and fail to see the full picture of Taiwan's overall art ecosystem.
The primary reason institutional curators have been overlooked for so long is that Taiwan's three major museums historically grew within government systems, where cultural policies long prioritized hardware over software and lacked respect for arts and culture professionals. As Director of the Taipei Fine Arts Museum (2015–2021), Lin Ping not only promoted several important international exchange programs during her tenure but, more importantly, established professional standards and evaluation systems for institutional curators.
Lai Hsiang-ling is equally an important representative of institutional curators. Having served as the Director of the Taipei Contemporary Art Museum (MOCA Taipei), the founding Director of the Shanghai West Bund Museum, and the CEO of the Kaohsiung City Contemporary Culture Lab (TCC), she has dedicated over thirty years to promoting contemporary art research, promotion, and international exchange.
Current Challenges: The "Imaging" of Curators and Professional Depth
In recent years, Taiwanese curators have faced a new challenge: the tendency toward professional "imaging." As observed by young curator Liu Hsing-yu, curators are beginning to develop an "image," but whether the viewpoints they propose are interesting is another matter. The "independent curator" in his mind is Takao Nobuo (高森信男), who curated the Asia Biennale in 2021, whom he believes possesses an international vision and a larger historical/world framework.
This phenomenon reflects a new stage in the development of Taiwanese curators: moving from professional institution-building toward personal branding. However, this trend also brings risks—curators may become more focused on constructing their personal image rather than the depth of exhibition content.
Curator's Note #3: On Curatorial Education
Hsu Wen-jui once pointed out that curatorial education needs to distinguish between the differences between independent curators and institutional curators, as well as cultivation at different career stages. Independent curators require stronger autonomy and resource integration capabilities, while institutional curators require a deeper academic foundation and international vision. Regardless of type, however, all require a profound understanding of Taiwan's art history; this is the fundamental basis of all curatorial practice.
Future Outlook: Constructing a Taiwanese Curatorial Methodology
Reviewing the developmental trajectory of Taiwanese curators over the past 30 years, we can see a clear evolutionary context: from early institutional experiments to participation in the international biennial system, and finally to the diversified local practices of recent years. Taiwanese curators are no longer passive recipients of international curatorial discourse; they have begun to propose original curatorial methodologies.
For example, Kung Chuo-chun's model of "fieldwork + discourse construction + local connection," Takao Nobuo's curatorial perspective of "hybrid background + international vision," and Wang Chun-chieh's hybrid identity as "artist + curator" all represent the unique contributions of Taiwanese curators to the global art ecosystem.
Most importantly, Taiwanese curators are learning one thing: how to maintain a deep concern for local culture while participating in international dialogue. This ability to balance may well be the core competitiveness of Taiwanese curators within the 21st-century global art landscape.
This article was written using extensive first-hand data and interviews; all names and events have been verified. If any factual errors are found, please report them via the Taiwan.md Issue system.
Further Reading:
- Matsu International Art Island — A ten-year curatorial project hosted by the Lienchiang County Government; the third edition was led by five curators simultaneously, serving as a concrete example of the Taiwanese curatorial ecosystem moving toward a team-based, decentralized model.
References
- Modern Art Journal - "Special Topic: New Challenges for Contemporary Curating," Taipei Fine Arts Museum, 2025
- Collection ARTouch - "[Curator's Bootcamp] Discussing the differences in cultivation across different career stages of curating," 2019
- Collection ARTouch - "Are there only independent curators in Taiwan? — The institutional curator, a long-overlooked system," 2020
- National Arts Foundation Subsidy Archive - "Stories of Curators: Looking at the Taiwan Curatorial Ecosystem from 2004–2021 through National Arts Foundation Curatorial Subsidies"
- Taipei Biennial Official Website Historical Review - https://www.taipeibiennial.org/
- Records of the Taiwan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale - https://www.taiwaninvenice.org/
- Artist Magazine - "Construction of Vision and Reproduction of Cultural Context — Interview with Kung Chuo-chun"
- Collection ARTouch - "Conditions of Art: Interview with Shusei Nanjio," 2020
- National Arts Foundation Visual Arts Curatorial Platform - https://curator.ncafroc.org.tw/
- Wikipedia - "Taipei Biennial" entry, latest version March 2026
- Taiwan Contemporary Art Database (TCAA) - Related artist and curator archives
- Collection ARTouch - "Hsu Chia-wei on Artist-Curating: I am not here to validate discourse, but to allow artists to have new 'creations'," 2020