Taipei’s Huashan 1914 Creative Park

As a contrast to the evictions of artists at Weihai Road and the destruction of buildings (some occupied by artists) on Moganshan Road in Shanghai (not to mention the spiteful and repeated Ai Wei Wei studio brouhahas) it’s nice to see an artistic area blossoming – however, in Taipei…

I first visited the Huashan 1914 Creative Park back last summer, and briefly blogged about it, noting that it was just getting started, had only had the first tenants moved in, wasn’t that well known yet but looked likely to be interesting. The day I visited it was pouring with summer rains (i.e. sheeting it down) and so the place looked a bit drab and depopulated – in truth nobody much was there and anyone who was had smartly found a cafe to hide in (of which there are several nice ones and no Starcrap or any of that chain balls so far).

Visiting again last weekend – a busy Chinese New Year weekend with a late burst of glorious sunshine – things have changed. The Park has expanded with more independent restaurants, bars and cafes as well as a good new bookshop and several craft shops. A bit of street theatre pulled in the crowds while there were queues for the exhibitions in the lovely large spaces that used to the brewery’s freight depots – I’ll do a separate post on the small National Palace Museum annex for new media art established at Huashan 1914 later.

Coming from the mainland this was all rather nice, free and easy and seemingly all just of happening in the old brewery complex (originally built in 1914). What struck me most of course, coming from the PRC to the ROC, was the total absense of anyone in a uniform – no square badges hassling migrant workers, nobody snatching bicycles away from people, nobody guarding all the exits and entrances, blowing whistles or generally exhibiting the infamous mainland ‘Little Napoleon’ tendancy. Just folk out for a stroll on a weekend and taking in a bit of art and culture mixed with a little commerce without all the panic attendant on art colonies on the mainland or the tasteless ‘lifestyle’ mania of horrors such as Xintiandi. See – it’s really not that difficult comrades! Just, as the kids say, ‘chill’.

Here’s their web site for details of what’s there and what’s happening – click here

The complex from across the street

nicely shaded lanes through the old brewery complex with shops, studios, cafes etc

spaces for revolving performances, installations, sculpture etc

there’s a film festival apparently planned too