A spotlight on Taiwan

Returning to full scale for the first time in three years, the 2023 edition of the art fair in Taiwan, presented by UBS, welcomed almost 35,000 art lovers to explore presentations by 90 art galleries from around the world. The fair also featured a rich program designed to create meaningful connections and dialogue across the international art world, and put a spotlight on the budding local art ecosystem.

Dedicated to large-scale or immersive installations, the Node sector returned with a focus on artists from Taiwan. Highlights included Nick Dong’s ‘Becoming Horizon,’ (2021) which activated 100,000 mirror tiles with sound and light to create a meditative space within the bustling fair. Also, a new major site-specific commission by Fenko Catalysis Chamber anchored the fair with an exploration of Taiwan's industrial heritage, design culture and contemporary art scene.

The Platform sector presented collaborations with cultural institutions for a series of workshops and pop-up events that highlighted the local cultural ecosystem. Included was the presentation ‘Our Place,’ which featured three video works by local artists exploring the intricate cross-national histories of Taiwan.

Located outside the main fair, the Ideas Forum united curators from around the world to share their knowledge from the cutting edge of contemporary art, in an exciting program of talks that was accessible to all.

In the UBS VIP Lounge, the UBS Art Collection showcased a recent acquisition by Danish artist Jakob Kudsk Steensen, which highlights the fragility of our natural world. "Catharsis" (2020) is a video work which pulls audiences into a digital simulation of a forest, reimagined to have existed without human intervention for hundreds of years. The work draws on the concept of ‘slow media’, a philosophy and practice using digital technologies to bring attention to the natural world.