NTCAM Collection: Between Arts and Folk Cultures｜400｜Introduction

Minjian / Photography│300│Introduction

Minjian / Photography: Documentary Vision and Its Realist Inflection 2026.07.18-11.15 ｜Curator｜CHANG Shih-lun ｜Artists｜MATSUYAMA Kenzo, CHANG Tsai, HUANG Tse-hsiu, HUANG Yung-sung, YAO Meng-chia, CHANG Chao-tang, LIANG Cheng-chu, LIN Bo-liang ｜More Information｜https://ntcart.museum/exhibition_content.aspx?id=H2606003 [https://ntcart.museum/exhibition_content.aspx?id=H2606003]

NTCAM Collection: Between Arts and Folk Cultures｜400｜Introduction

Script of this episode// Since its preparatory stage, the **New Taipei City Art Museum **has centered its research on constructing the art history of New Taipei, shaping a collection system rooted in local perspectives. Historically, New Taipei City has carried the trajectories of diverse ethnic groups—their migration, residency, and coexistence—layering into a rich tapestry of folk culture and cultural landscapes. Consequently, the concept of "the Folk" has become a vital dimension in the museum’s research and collection. Through this lens, we preserve the memories of the city's vibrant living scenes while documenting how art reflects, transforms, and cares for the pulses and echoes of the land. "NTCAM Collection: Between Arts and Folk Cultures" features a curated selection of the museum’s folk-themed collections and extended works. Through three sections—Folk into Image, Ritual Scenes, and Observing the Human Condition—the exhibition presents artists' observations and interpretations of folk symbols, belief systems, and ritual settings. The word "Between" in the title refers to the bridge spanning folk culture and the arts, denoting both a threshold and the act of crossing. Organized under these three sections, the gallery serves as a dock leading to historical sites. We invite visitors to linger and allow the artist to act as a guide through their works and creative visions, looking back together at the essence of the folk. ------------------- NTCAM Collection: Between Arts and Folk Cultures 2026.05.09-08.02 Curatorial｜Research and Collection Department of NTCAM Artists｜WU Wang-ju, HU Chia, GUO Dung-jung, LIAO Shiou-ping, YUAN Chin-taa, SO Yo-hen, LI Jiun-yang, LEE Shi-chi, PENG Hung-chih, SHEN Chao-liang

NTCAM Collection: Between Arts and Folk Cultures｜401｜ Folk into Image

Script of this episode// Folk into Image Folk culture is the sum of collective life—the stick of incense for peace in a family hall, the lights and dramas on an outdoor stage, and the legends shared across generations. It shapes the contours of culture and serves as a mark of identity. When folk customs become a source of inspiration, fragments of daily life are transformed into rich symbols that manifest collective memories. For instance, in Wu Wang-ju's Tiger Gods (III): Peitian Temple – Tiger Gods of Heaven and Earth, bold lines and saturated colors document deities from traditional beliefs. In Yuan Chin-ta's Great Fortune at First Sight, we encounter the familiar figures of the "Seventh Lord and Eighth Lord," reinterpreted through playful forms to convey auspicious blessings. Beyond reproducing shared experiences, these works also reflect the unique personal perspectives of the artists. Liao Shiou-ping draws from his childhood memories of temple rituals, transforming and collaging elements of jingyi—spirit money—to symbolize the various facets of folk life. Li Jiun-yang utilizes traditional temple painting techniques to reshape puppet figures and reconfigure elements of folklore, ultimately weaving new mythological narratives. In this section, 'Into Image' serves as a metaphor for creation on one hand, and a practical method of capturing folk traditions to retell their stories on the other. ------------------- NTCAM Collection: Between Arts and Folk Cultures 2026.05.09-08.02 Curatorial｜Research and Collection Department of NTCAM Artists｜WU Wang-ju, HU Chia, GUO Dung-jung, LIAO Shiou-ping, YUAN Chin-taa, SO Yo-hen, LI Jiun-yang, LEE Shi-chi, PENG Hung-chih, SHEN Chao-liang

NTCAM Collection: Between Arts and Folk Cultures｜402｜Ritual Scenes

Script of this episode// Ritual Scenes As a site for practicing folk culture, rituals often showcase the most vibrant scenes of daily life. In the section "Ritual Scenes," artists observe these folk gatherings through various media, capturing one lively, spirited moment after another. We see Hu Chia using watercolors to capture wide-angle scenes of boisterous temple fairs—the surging crowds in the foreground, the theatrical stage in the back, and even the snack vendors lined up on the side. Guo Tung-jung uses oil paints to freeze moments in time, depicting the dancing golden dragon of the Ginza festival, the crowds releasing sky lanterns in Pingxi, the silhouette of Longshan Temple, and the deities upon the altar. Furthermore, Shen Chao-liang, drawing from over a decade of fieldwork, documents Taiwan's unique Vaudeville Troupes performing at weddings, funerals, and celebrations. Portraits of performers, glimpses of life on and off the stage, and images of mobile stage trucks under the twilight are lined up across the gallery wall, revealing the photographer’s deep and empathetic gaze. As you slowly scan the room, these static works begin to connect like film frames. The sounds of the ritual gradually rise, and the images stir into motion. You can almost hear the deafening drums and the clamor of the crowd in the background. A lion dancer leaps, the crowd swells, and the brilliant lights of the stage truck dazzle the eyes. The performers' voices, slightly raw through the speakers, carry a dance that is nonetheless incredibly beautiful. ------------------- NTCAM Collection: Between Arts and Folk Cultures 2026.05.09-08.02 Curatorial｜Research and Collection Department of NTCAM Artists｜WU Wang-ju, HU Chia, GUO Dung-jung, LIAO Shiou-ping, YUAN Chin-taa, SO Yo-hen, LI Jiun-yang, LEE Shi-chi, PENG Hung-chih, SHEN Chao-liang

NTCAM Collection: Between Arts and Folk Cultures｜403｜Observing the Human Condition

Script of this episode// Observing the Human Condition The "Folk" is more than just a collection of daily scenes and experiences; it is a vital arena where people interact and establish social structures. Thus, artists observe society through a unique lens, employing techniques such as appropriation, transformation, and the reconfiguration of elements to raise inquiries about specific social phenomena. First, Peng Hung-chih collected a vast number of "abandoned deities," retelling the story of the gambling craze in 1980s Taiwan—a phenomenon that reflected human greed and utilitarianism when people took their frustrations out on their faith. Secondly, Lee Shi-chi focuses on the act of gambling, using exaggerated forms in his work to provoke reflection on the behavior of betting. So Yo-hen, on the other hand, utilizes the traditional craft of "paper offerings" to orchestrate a drama of the deceased traveling to the spirit world, exploring Taiwan’s complex colonial history with a humorous undertone. In the section "Observing the Human Condition," "observing" is more than just seeing and discovering; it is a process of translation. Consequently, the exhibition features interactive installations in the gallery, selecting three keywords—"spirit money", "Tiger God," and "The Seventh and Eighth Lords." We invite visitors to experience the process of translation by using AI to generate images. Through various combinations, contexts, and stylistic transformations, what new forms will folk art take? In the interactive zone at the end of the gallery, we look forward to savoring these journeys of translation together and sharing our reflections. ------------------- NTCAM Collection: Between Arts and Folk Cultures 2026.05.09-08.02 Curatorial｜Research and Collection Department of NTCAM Artists｜WU Wang-ju, HU Chia, GUO Dung-jung, LIAO Shiou-ping, YUAN Chin-taa, SO Yo-hen, LI Jiun-yang, LEE Shi-chi, PENG Hung-chih, SHEN Chao-liang