That is just what my day was today!!! Right after this Sunday Mass, with no Babysitting duties... All alone... And no good movie to see - I decided to escape the midday heat of the sun by taking in some art exhibitions... And what better place than one of Fave Art Museums in Taiwan, MOCA... Always something good, contemporary, and cool to see... And of course, the surrounding areas are an added bonus....
First up was a walk through the long strecth of the Zhongshan UNDERGROUND MRT/MALL... which offers just about anything you could think of: Rows and rows of shops selling clothing, books, DVDs, shoes, toys, magazines, abounds... and in one of the BEST SECTION the MOCA STUDIO... an off shoot of MOCA... cool exhibitions are always on view here.... artwork, interactive art, film festivals, performance art, etc..... this time around three sections of Film Exhibitions - both Live Action and Animated films done by local artists.... one can spend hours watching all these shows - not only are they FREE of CHARGE, it also helps that the Underground Mall is much much cooler than being on the streets....
And the whole Underground Mall is quite an Art Space - at any given time, you can see photographic exhibitions or paintings of different genres.... even the store front gates are works of art, as each one are painted/graffitied by artists and regular folks alike.... it was an added treat to see a brand new section of Mural artwork today - this one taking the Alice in Wonderland theme and utilizing all the areas of the section to tell the story... interpretations of the popular storybook adorns walls, doors, columns, and just about anything - masking their commonness and making them parts of the canvases....
After feasting on the Underground art exhibitions, it was time to check out what the real MUSEUM has in store for me.... and boy was it a pleasant surprise.... the main exhibition is about the work of renowned filmaker, King Hu.... one of the forefathers of the Chinese Kung Fu cinemas... His numerous films (a personal fave, DRAGON INN, included) had been studied, copied, and praised by many other famous Chinese Directors - Oscar Winner Ang Lee, included.... He also boasts garnering the Grand Prix price at Cannes back in 1975 for his epic film, Touch of Zen....
The exhibitions boasts countless video screens showing almost all his films.... sections of the museums were made to recreate some of the most essential parts/scenes for his numerous films... A section also shows interviews of famous producers and directors who had nothing but praise for Mr Hu... a section was also devoted showcasing his many illustrations - being a talented illustrator, as well - with two major Animation films in the 1990s: Golden Monkey and The Boiling of the Sea. Many of his original illustration art from both films were on display - so it was an added treat for me.... sadly, photographing them were prohibited - and this section was very much guarded.... intentional or coincidental - I really could not say....
Was amazed with the overall exhibition, I had to walk through it all for a second time.... Overall, it was a GREAT ART DAY FOR ME, I would say.... no, correction - I WOULD BOAST!!!
All these have also been TRUE in many Asian countries I have visited, lived in... here in Taipei alone, I cannot even tell you how often I see cars, driven by adults, all in full cartoon regalia... not only the outside body painted in various cartoon characters but also inside, all accessories covered in full Kawaiiness... hanging stuff or vinyl toys on cel phones and purses (yes, even LVs and Prada bags are not safe - actually they have since jumped on the bandwagon and have produce oh so EXPENSIVE trinkets!)...
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