Taishin Bank Foundation for Arts and Culture

Comments on the Finalist

Taiwan Public Television Service Online recruited a group of young documentarists to produce the program series “In the Name of Art”. The series introduced some of the representative artists and their works focusing on cultural issues rather than a linear or biographical approach. Covering controversial issues such as the social background, the individual value of creativity, and artistic criticism, the series provided a record differing from the words and image archives.  (Committee member/ Ching-wen CHANG)

“In the Name of Art” gives a progressive meaning in terms of the existence and the argument of art in Taiwan. It approaches the early situation and looks at visual subjects initiated during the Japanese colonial period and the post-war era with a modern view. In addition to documenting, the series discusses the contemporary art scene since the 1980s under several milestone issues such as gender, ethnicity, and globalization. The series opens up a critical view to stretch a diversified possibility of interpretation and   documentation. It differs from other documentary disciplines tied with historical positivism which focuses on source collection and recording. The series not only proves the value of image-usage as historic documents, but also explores the potential and challenge of their role as commentary in the public domain. (Committee member/ Po-shin CHIANG)

Artwork Introduction

Public Television Service’s documentary series “In the Name of Art” took two and a half years to film. It is the first time for such an in-depth penetrating look at Taiwan’s modern and contemporary art over the past century. The series made the difficult concepts of art easy for the average person to understand and helped make the audience to appreciate art.

One episode focused on Taiwan art during the period of Japanese colonization (1895-1945), while another episode “The Avant-Garde Spirit” looked at cutting edge art in the 1950s and 1960s, and featured two groups: Fifth Moon and Tong Fang Painting Association. Dramatic recreations were used to convey the narratives and the special ambience of the time.

Some of the episodes required travel to places such as Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and Musashino Art University in Japan and the National Art Museum of China. Other episodes provided scintillating interviews with well-known contemporary Taiwanese artists such as Chen Chieh-Jen, Yao Jui-Chung, and Yuan Jai.

The series question the diverse modernities and outside influences that give Taiwan’s art its special character and history. The series also documented artists who live and work abroad such as Michael Lin and Lee Ming-wei. One documentary followed Magnum Photographer Chang Chien-chi in New York. Important international art exhibitions such as the Venice Biennale were included too.

Public Television Service broadcasts a wide variety of programming and viewpoints to cultivate cultural awareness and diversity. Their award winning series celebrate the richness of Taiwanese artistic culture. Whether in Taiwan or abroad, Taiwanese artists are getting their voices heard and Public Television Service helps get their message known to a broader audience.

About the Artist

Public Television Service consists of producer Chiou Hsien-jung. Researcher and scriptwriter is Hsu Yun-kang. Directors for the nominated series “In the Name of Art” are Chiou Hsien-jung, Wu Jia-ming and Zeng Wen-zhen.

As Public Television Service is a non-profit foundation, it does not serve any commercial or political interests. It tries to provide cultural and educational programming that reflects the diversity of its mass audience. Public Television Service gives voice to a wide-range of multi-cultural and ethnic groups and provides the public with television program that is rich and enriching.