Articles

Photo Credit: SU Hui-Yu

＃Column

We are in Pier-2 Art Center

2024-11-22

The Pier-2 Art Center, located in the Yancheng District of Kaohsiung City, is an art park transformed from warehouses. After the Bureau of Cultural Affairs, Kaohsiung City Government took over the Pier-2 Art Center in 2006, numerous exhibitions and performances full of urban creativity have been held to manifest the cultural charm and life aesthetics of this harbor city. In 2015, an artist residency program was initiated, welcoming 25 to 30 innovative, interdisciplinary, and experimental artists home and abroad through open calls, direct invitations, and international exchange each year for collaborative engagement.


The Art Residency Network invited director Wang, Huei-Lin and senior curator Wu, Mei-Hsi of the Pier-2 Art Center to share their insights on the diverse use of space and resources and the key considerations for selecting resident artists. We also interviewed 2 artists/ artist groups who have previously participated in the program, Shih Meng Hsin and Geofictions, to have them share their observations of Pier-2 during their stay. Through their perspectives, we hope to offer some references for artists interested in this residency program.


Expanding the interdisciplinary dialogue of art between Kaohsiung and the world.
Pier-2’s five most attractive factors for artists:



I. Abundant local cultural heritage


Located at the southern tip of Taiwan, Kaohsiung was once a major industrial city and an international trade hub, known for its vibrant, diverse atmosphere. The Pier-2 Art Center is situated in the Asia New Bay Area, a region undergoing significant development as part of the city’s industrial transformation. Its unique port location has played a vital role in global history, from the Age of Exploration, heavy industrial development during the Japanese Rule, World War II air raids, to the Cold War era. As a result, nearby neighborhoods such as Yancheng, Hamasen, and Cijin have become rich in historical and cultural heritage. Meanwhile, the city’s diverse ethnic and cultural influences, from migrant communities to Austronesian culture, are connected to the world through the sea. This offers a wealth of inspiration for resident artists to explore in their creative work.


II. Diversified exhibition space and residency resources


The overall area of the Pier-2 Art Center is composed of idle warehouses previously used for storing fishmeal and sugar, along with the surrounding spaces. The exterior of the buildings has been preserved, while the interior spaces have been transformed and upgraded. Other than a large artistic outdoor area, there are two co-working spaces that host many cultural workers from art, design, and other creative industries. Director Wang, Huei-Lin stated that, in response to artists’ creative plans, after in-depth discussions about their intentions and goals, the Pier-2 Art Center provides outdoor spaces for artists to make art. This includes murals on building exteriors, street art, and outdoor installations.


The Pier-2 Art Center regularly organizes thematic exhibitions on contemporary art and design, as well as large-scale events such as the Kaohsiung Design Festival and the Kaohsiung International Steel Sculpture Festival. By building a variety of exhibition brands and playing with a range of themes, Pier-2 not only connects these events with the residency program, but also invites suitable artists for thematic residencies based on the exhibition themes and showcases their residency results thoroughly at the exhibitions. Moreover, lectures and workshops are held for artists to further engage and interact with the public.


III. A free, open space for artists


The Pier-2 Art Center’s Dayi Warehouses include 8 studios for resident artists and one multifunctional space for general exchange, discussion, cooking, and laundry. Each studio features a 33 square-meter working space on the first floor and a 13 square-meter living area on the second floor, equipped with a private bathroom.


The Pier-2 Art Center also provides artists with great flexibility in their creative processes. Artist Shih Meng Hsin shared his experience during the residency. He said that throughout his stay, he was free from others’ judgment and could focus on creating an exhibition that he was happy with. Furthermore, the center offers accommodation, living stipends, and creative funding, allowing artists to concentrate fully on their work without reservations. The experience is invaluable. During this period of time, artists can also gain a deeper understanding of Kaohsiung’s history and culture.


IV. Support and matchmaking for professional teams


With the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Pier-2 Art Center Artist Residency Program invites artists to take residencies through different channels as it actively promotes thematic residencies. These themes include illustration, photography, and steel, and the types of art span across visual art, design, illustration and animation, performing art, and even experimental music. Artists specializing in all mediums and art types are encouraged to create art at the Pier-2 Art Center, furthering the diverse cultural representation of this place.


With the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Pier-2 Art Center Artist Residency Program invites artists to take residencies through different channels as it actively promotes thematic residencies. These themes include illustration, photography, and steel, and the types of art span across visual art, design, illustration and animation, performing art, and even experimental music. Artists specializing in all mediums and art types are encouraged to create art at the Pier-2 Art Center, furthering the diverse cultural representation of this place.


V. Practicing 3 core missions


Throughout the years, the Pier-2 Art Center has focused on how artists can respond to the texture of their resident city through creative projects. Guided by 3 core missions, supporting contemporary art creation, deepening art education, and fostering mutual benefits for local communities, the Pier-2 team expects artists to transform their field observations during the residency into works of art.


In the application guidelines for the residency program, artists are expected to propose educational outreach workshops and other activities. Based on these proposals, the Pier-2 team will match artists with various schools, communities, and local revitalization groups. Along with regular exchange activities for artists and open studio events, we aim to cultivate artistic energy and let it bring more possibilities to the Pier-2 space. We hope to see this art district exert its influence in many ways, while gradually expanding local and international connections and networks.


 


Source: Geofictions, Shih Meng Hsin, Pier-2 Art Center.
Edited: Brix

Pier-2 Art Center
Pier-2 Art Center, which refers to Pier No. 2 in Basin No. 3 of Kaohsiung Harbor, was built in 1973 as common port warehouses. They were once abandoned and buried in history due to the city move from an industrial based to the service sector. It was for the celebration of National Day in 2000 that the central government for the first time decided to release fireworks in southern Taiwan, and Kaohsiung became the selected. Thus, the organizers re-discovered these Pier-2 warehouses just beside the harbor. Later in 2001, a group of passionate local artists established the Pier-2 Artistic Development Association, aiming this center to be the headquarter for artistic development in southern Taiwan. In 2006, Bureau of Cultural Affairs of Kaohsiung City Government took over and became the management entity. Ever since, the center has positioned itself as an international art platform, oriented toward avant-garde, experiment and originality, open to creators all over the world, making the region a place where tourists and locals come together to enjoy fine art. With the collision of an old area and new fine art, this center thus transforms itself into an art venue representative in Taiwan, an art area full of new vitality and liveliness. Nurtured by the city, the center has its dialogues with histories of commercial harbor, iron and steel, shipbuilding and shipbreaking, and has constantly held art events or even festivals in response to these characteristics. “Pier-2 Artists in Residence Program” (PAIR) was thus initiated in 2015, aiming to bring in more art perspectives and practices that may recall beyond. Open call is released to all artists from every June to August. With the evaluation of the committee along with the exchange program, PAIR receives about 25 artists every year from all over the world to make art happen in this beautiful center. Artists will also have the chance to hold workshops or deliver speeches in schools and communities, and to present their art practice in the exhibition venue.
More Articles