On October 12, 2001, the Taipei City Government Department of Cultural Affairs established the “Taipei Artist Village” at No. 7 Beiping East Road, a site that was previously the office of the Conservation Agency. The endeavor aimed to repurpose idle spaces across Taipei through artist residencies, transforming them into creative and living spaces for artists, thereby promoting interaction and exchange between local and international artists and the local community.

Starting in 2004, the Taipei Culture Foundation took on the mission of overseeing the operations and management of the “Taipei Artist Village,” acting under the Taipei City Government Department of Cultural Affairs. Subsequently, in 2008, they began operating the Grass Mountain Artist Village (until its cessation in 2012). On October 2, 2010, the Taipei Culture Foundation formally took over the “Treasure Hill Artist Village.” To manage the diverse business related to artist residencies at different locations, the Taipei Culture Foundation established the “Department of Artist-in-Residence” in 2010, adopting “Artist-in-Residence Taipei (AIR Taipei)” as its core mission and branding, primarily nurturing creative talent and facilitating international exchanges.

Every year, guided by the “Taipei City Government Department of Cultural Affairs Artist Residency Guidelines” and “Artist Village Residency Procedures,” the Artist Village promotes the “Artist-in-Residence Taipei (AIR Taipei)” project that melds artistic creation with daily life. It establishes an international network, offering an art nomad selection project for contemporary cultural practitioners and artists participating in residencies in Taipei city. This boosts opportunities for both domestic and international artistic talents in their professional careers. It allows cross-cultural, interdisciplinary creative energies to experiment, intersect, and meld. The aim is to invigorate cross-industry collaborations in the cultural sector and strengthen artistic exchanges between Taipei and cities both domestically and abroad.

For over two decades, through the “Artist-in-Residence Taipei” program and the foundational base of Treasure Hill Artist Village, the Village hosted over 500 artists from more than 40 countries and dispatched over one hundred Taiwanese artists to participate in global exchange residencies. By the end of 2023, one of the sites, the Taipei Artist Village (TAV), will cease its operations in line with a public urban renewal project. However, even though the physical space may disappear, the core mission of “artist residencies” remains. The related residencies and exhibition activities will continue at Treasure Hill. The Artist Village’s commitment to fostering and nurturing creative talents is not restricted to a particular venue. It envisions the “Artist-in-Residence Taipei (AIR Taipei)” as a platform for cultural exchange and cultivating creative talents, expanding diverse residency programs. Through approaches including community involvement, academia-industry collaboration, artist participation, and both online and offline methods, it seeks to forge connections among contemporary cultural practitioners, magnify their artistic vigor, and thereby broaden the scope of nurturing artistic talents, all the while sustaining the value of international cultural interchanges and networks.