Contemporary Taiwanese art symposium is at the Johnson

The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell will hold an international symposium in conjunction with its exhibition "Contemporary Taiwanese Art in the Era of Contention" on April 9 and 10.

The symposium, organized by An-yi Pan, assistant professor of art history at Cornell and curator of the exhibition, will feature the presentation of papers exploring three themes: "Taiwan's Special Historical Circumstances and the Formation of Modern and Contemporary Taiwanese Art"; "Contemporary Cultural Theories and Taiwanese Visual Culture"; and "Technology and Contemporary Taiwanese Visual Culture."

Papers will be presented by Dean-e Mei, Chang-hua University, Taiwan; Chun-yi Lee, Arizona State University; June Chu, Taipei Fine Arts Museum; Victoria Lu, Shih Chien University, Taiwan; Christopher Lupke, Washington State University; Rita Yuan-chien Chang, independent curator/secretary general, Asian Cultural Council/Sino-American Asian Cultural Foundation, Taipei; Shu-min Lin, New York Institute of Technology; Chien-hui Kao, art critic and independent curator, University of Chicago; and Cornell's Pan.

For information on fees and advance registration for the symposium, which are required, contact Elizabeth Saggese at 254-4642.

The exhibition examines contemporary Taiwanese art through the lenses of cultural identity and political memory, focusing on the period since 1987, when martial law was lifted.

This period has seen some of the most radical and contentious social and political transformation in the island's history, inspiring a younger generation of artists to employ new means and forms to define "their" era. Unprecedented openness provided opportunities to overcome previous limitations on artistic expression and to delve into formerly taboo topics, propelling a new generation of artists to participate in larger social, cultural and political debates. The exhibition was co-organized by the Johnson Museum and the Taipei Fine Arts Museum.

The project has received major support from the Council for Cultural Affairs, Executive Yuan, R.O.C.; the Blakemore Foundation; Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation; and Cornell Council for the Arts. Additional support was provided by the East Asia Program and the Department of the History of Art.