The Taichung Art Museum will present its summer international exhibition, "Horizon Ablaze", from May 15 to August 30. This is the Museum’s first exhibition co curated with international institutions. Jointly organized by Taiwan, the Philippines, and Panama, the exhibition brings together 50 works by 33 artists and artist groups from 16 countries, spanning painting, video, and sound installation, and explores how tropical climates shape human life and bodily perception. The exhibition will tour Taiwan, the Philippines, and Panama, with Taichung as the first stop, leading viewers to reconsider the multiple meanings of "heat" through the perspective of art.
The curatorial team includes independent curator Nobuo Takamori, Tessa Maria Guazon, Director of the Jorge B. Vargas Museum and Filipiniana Research Center at the University of the Philippines Diliman, Juan Canela, Chief Curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Panama (MAC Panama), and Jennifer Choy. The concept of the exhibition originated from the Spanish word "Kalentura", meaning "heat", spoken by Tessa’s grandmother in a dream, and was further extended into the multiple interpretations of "heat" across different languages and cultures. Drawing on their respective tropical experiences, the curatorial team transformed the tropical conditions of different countries into curatorial practice through research and long term dialogue.
The exhibition features representative artists from Taiwan and abroad, including internationally acclaimed Panamanian artists Donna Conlon and Jonathan Harker. Their works have been exhibited at Palais de Tokyo and the Havana Biennial, and collected by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Tate Modern, and Queensland Art Gallery - Gallery of Modern Art. This time, they present two video works, "Tropical Zincphony" and "Drinking Song". Through humor and metaphor, the works begin with everyday objects from Panama and address nationhood, identity, and collective experience. The Museum will also exhibit two collection works by senior artists from central Taiwan, ShouYing Wang’s oil painting "Summer Time" and Jui-Fen Liao’s glue color painting "Summer Morning", revisiting memories of summer life in Taiwan.
In addition, Panamanian artist Andrea Santos presents the "Sunshower" series, composed of video, painting, and sculpture, transforming the Caribbean and Latin American folk saying, "A sunshower means an old woman is in love!", into magical imagery that explores the connection between identity and land. Taiwanese artist Tsung-Yu Tsai uses contemporary ink painting to present "Cupping", "Gua Sha", and "Acupuncture", depicting the "back totems" of folk remedies commonly used for heatstroke and prompting a knowing smile from viewers. The exhibition also includes a special collaboration with the National Center of Photography and Images and National Taiwan University Hospital, presenting rare historical materials and instruments related to tropical medicine and epidemic prevention.
The Taichung Art Museum stated that "Horizon Ablaze" also launches two international residency programs for the first time. Filipino artist Corinne de San Jose will collaborate with Tunghai University to develop work based on urban environmental sound, while Guatemalan artist Edgar Calel will collaborate with Carp Gallery in Taichung to present Maya culture and traditional rituals through artistic creation, further deepening cultural exchange between Taichung and the international art world.
The Cultural Affairs Bureau of Taichung City Government stated that this exhibition is the first paid exhibition at the Taichung Art Museum. Admission will be free from May 15 to 17 in conjunction with International Museum Day. Beginning May 19, general admission to the paid exhibition area will be NT$100, while Taichung residents, children, and senior visitors will enjoy discounted admission of NT$50. All other exhibitions and public spaces will remain free of charge, and the public is welcome to visit. For more exhibition information, please visit the TcAM website (https://www.tcam.museum/zh) or follow our Facebook and Instagram pages.