Trick Art 3D Exhibition

Running now through the 5th of January 2014 - Trick Art Exhibition is surely bringing in so much entertainment fun to both, young and adults alike, at the National Science Museum.  

The 3rd Part in this much loved exhibition takes on Kitaro GeGe.,.  Scenes after scenes from this popular Japanese Animation were reproduced in giant canvases so as one may be able to interact with them, photograph and be a part of each scene.

I suggest you go on a weekday so as to avoid loads of people and long period of times waiting.  But if you do not have a choice and can only go on a weekend, I say "Brave the Crowds and the long was - and Enjoy!!!"  It will be worth it.  All you need is your entrance Fee and loads of enthusiasm  and imagination!!!

For More Photos - Pls Click Here!

Yingge Ceramics Museum

Tuesday, August 13th - we took a day trip to the Ceramics Capital of Taiwan:  New Taipei City's Yingge.  I have been here many years ago when the Yingge Ceramics Museum first opened... not quite done but operational...   I am so surprised as to how wonderful the place has developed....  the building's architecture itself, is marvelous....  very modern both on the outside, as well as the inside....  the Museum houses a GREAT PERMANENT Exhibition of just about everything one needs to know about Ceramics making...  with lots of interactive areas that demonstrates and teaches one in the art of ceramics making....

Of course, one can revel to the many ceramic arts on display - both permanent and special exhibited ones... at any given time there will be one or two special ones on view for period of times....  The collection exhibited permanently ranges from potteries & vases to GODs and Goddesses figures...  from ceramic art windows to ancient ceramic pillows (these were my favorite).... and everything else in between....  a whole day is not nearly enough to see and take in all that is on display....  the colors... the shapes... the splendours are all amazingly on display here....

The Museum grounds is quite big, as well...  with lots of areas for fun, play and to get educated....   Of course, Juju's fave - as well as all the kids - is the water fun area....  just about ankle deep with lots of colorful ceramic spheres to play with......  Juju took hours playing here....

and scattered all around the grounds are special large ceramic pieces (see photo below) to admire....

After the Museum, we took a walk in the pretty and touristy area called Lao Jie - Old Street - not so old looking anymore as it has been developed very much for the tourists and locals alike....  still, so many of the shops and restaurants are from long ago times so one can still have that old town feel....   And one can revel at the glorious, rows and rows of shops, selling pottery/ceramic pieces....

When U care enough to send the very best..

True to their TagLine, Hallmark, has for centuries been bring love, hope, holiday cheers, birthday wishes, condolences and everything else in between - to people of all ages... The world over!!!

A nice little place to hold small exhibitions - adjacent to the Taipei Fine Arts Museum.... 

 to date I have attended three exhibitions here....

 

Yesterday, I was had the pleasure of admiring some of their many greeting cards at Taipei Story House. This quaint museum at the moment, houses "A Century of Greetings". A retrospective of Hallmark Greeting cards.

It was quite a collection... Greeting  Cards past, as old as the Turn of the Century ones... Celebrating Holidays from all over the world, and in many different languages... Fave characters, Pop Ups, various occasion cards...

 

Artful Week

A favorite pastime of mine, ART WATCHING...   it is GREAT stress relieving....  and inspirational...  if you are someone like me whose taste in Art and Exhibition is sooooo varied, then you will never run out of things to see....  And one of the BEST things about living in Taipei is that, everywhere you turn, you are exposed to something artsy and/or art related....  Well after all, they did say that ART IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER!

 

First up was taking in the Barbie Exhibition, as it was ending by the 27th of this month....  over 100 Barbie dolls and accessories - from Vintage (1959) to Modern) - all on loan from local Taiwanese Designer & Personality (and a personal friend) Goji Lin...   It was GREAT seeing the exhibition...  seeing so much Barbie & Friends out on view....  sadly, for someone like me, it was quite unorganized....  no real rhyme or reason for the way all was displayed... I saw and heard quite a few oooohs and aaaaahs from many visitors - young and old....

See more of the Photos Here: Barbie Fashion Box

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Next up for me was the LEGO Exhibition.... in one word: AMAZING!!!  This is not your childhood LEGO art, of course... instead, they are all AMAZING WORK intricate work of art by Nathan Sawaya - already all his LEGO work that has been exhibited worldwide.  And it isn't just that each pice consists of hundreds, and thousands even, of LEGO pieces - each ARTWORK is well thought of and even comes with such sentiments behind their creations....

The Three Pieces I Love Most from the Exhibition!

COMPLET PHOTOS HERE: LEGO-tastic!

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And Sunday, after Church, I decided to make is a Sunday Art Stroll by heading to the Zhongshan Underground MRT Station  Area all the way to MOCA....  always have great installations from local artists - both up and coming and well known....  the sliding gate from each shop alone are great canvases...

PHOTOS COMING SOON!

Stormy Saturday

Got back in the wee hours of the morning from a nice getaway trip to Jeju Island, So Korea....   though I have been to Korea many times before, this was my first to this part of the country....  it was a tiring, but none-the-less, fun filled 4 days - roaming around the streets, checking out Phoenix Island, and eating some delicious but Oh-So-Hot Food....  But that's for another BLOG...  which I should be able to catch up on as soon as I get settled in these next two days.....   so much to SHARE and CATCH UP ON....

 

Right now am basically just keeping up/catching up with all....   I would complain about coming home to the rain but it is actually nice as it made me stay home and do work.... get a grasp of things at hand...  follow up with emails...  and even DELETE - what was very much in need of DELETION!

 

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Twisted Words, Twisted Thoughts... You are worse than a Twister...

So Keep Twisting Away... 

Far away from me...

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Did get to go out for a bit though, as we found Exhibition tickets that was expiring today... so we rushed to the National Museum to take in the POP UP BOOK EXHIBITION....  it seemed nice... I say seemed as it was hard to get close to anything with the amount of people in attendance....  almost not worth going at all - so rewarded ourselves with Mister Donuts instead - always a nice Picker Upper....    Overall a nice rainy day for me....  Twister and All!

 

ART Day

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!!!

MOCA Goes FASHIONISTA!

Yesterday, I took in the "Fashionista" Exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art - Taipei, Taiwan. As you already know, this museum has got to be my most FAVE one in all of Taiwan - as it showcases a lot more contemporary, current, & fun exhibitions.... with this one not any different.

Fashionista showcases local top (familiar names such as Isabelle Wen, Jasper Huang & ) and some up and coming designers - all oozing with so much talents and visions. The exhibition focuses on the designers current/contemporary thinking and views, interpreted in all aspects of fashion: clothing, shoes, accessories, and even a bit of interior designs...

Great pieces are on display... intricately and exquisitely designed clothing... Bustiers made of solid wood... gorgeous gowns made of mesh materials.... some of them are TRULY worthy of being worn down the fashion runways of Paris, London, Tokyo and/or New York.

The way the collections are presented leaves a lot to be desired as well.... very contemporary setting.... and one that is very outstanding is the area where a bunch of white tops lined the ceiling, like clouds lining up the skies.... it was just heavenly looking.... in the same room, creations by different designers are showcased in their individual spotlight, a blurb on the design, and even a wide screen TV with designers taking about their designs...FASHIONISTA runs thru the 13th of November, 2011
MY COMPLETE EXHIBITION PHOTOS HERE!

MOCA INFO:
39 Changan West Road, Taipei City
台北市大同區長安西路39號
☎: 02 2552-3720

MUCHA' s Art Nuoveau Works

Friday afternoon,Sept. 9th, just as soon as I got done with all my work for the day, packing shipping, emails - I got ready and armed with Juliana's direction on how to get to the National Palace Museum, boldly I went.... now, I have been in the Museum many times before but always by car or scooter... this time I was on my own and taking Public Transportation...

It was a BREEZE!!! Thank God for the fine directions, the Great Public Transit System in Taiwan, and the kind people I asked a long the way - I made it with no trouble at all - the Heat of the Sun does not count... that cannot be helped... :)

A FAVE Piece from the Exhibition...

It was a GREAT Exhibition overall... lots of early works, original illustrations, and commissioned works on display.... sadly we were not allowed to photograph inside (though I did manage to sneak a few shots! you can check them out by clicking here: MUCHA EXHIBITION)... the exhibition ends tomorrow, September 12th... it has been running since June 11th, but with the schedule I keep - I was not able to go (had to force myself or miss out)till the 9th of this month... LOL!

National Palace Museum Link

MUSEUM DAY

Another rainy wet day yesterday - so what could be BEST than taking a break from WORK and going to the MUSEUM... at least you get to go out, but still not out in the rain.... and you get to enjoy, be awed, and be inspired by so many FAB ART on exhibit....

Always a pleasure going to the Museum of Contemporary Art of Taipei.... I mean, even before you get into the actually museum - you get to enjoy all the wonderful, fun things surrounding the Museum.... sculptures that actually leads you the the MUSEUM.... and then right at the very front of the MUSEUM - always something happening... another exhibit unto itself.... and you do not even have to pay to see it all... so you get to enjoy some art already - FREE!!

Not that it is expensive to go in...actually one of the CHEAPEST MUSEUM ENTRANCE FEE I have ever known.... only NT$50 (less than US$2.00) to get in and enjoy the exciting & fun installations - usually, at least two or three exhibitions going at a time... this time I enjoyed the two main exhibitions:

Invisibleness is Visibleness Exhibition

PERSPECTIVE

You can view Complete Photos of the Exhibitions in these albums: MOCA 1 & MOCA 2

2,560th old - and WISER!

Happy Birthday, Confucius!!!

Today marks the 2,560th Birthday for the Supreme Teacher.... and in Taipi, the Confuscious Temple annually holds a Confucious Ceremony in honour of the Great Sage, that is attended by locals and foreigners...

This life sized sculpture of Confucius, i took, from the National Palace Museum - he greets museum goers just right outside of this amazing building.

Photos of the Confucious Temple - Taipei

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A FEW FAVE WISE WORDS FROM THE GREAT TEACHER:

-I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.

-Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star.

-Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.

-Study the past if you would define the future.

-Wherever you go, go with all your heart.

Zhongshan Linear Park

This BLOG is loooong overdue.... meant to BLOG about it but completely got sidetracked till I came across the back issue of Discover Taipei magazine, which used the Zhongshan Linear Park area as its' cover story....

Back in April of this year, Juliana and I went to the Museum of Contemporary Art to see the David LaChapelle Exhibit sit.... we took the MRT - as it was quite convenient.... walking through the station to our designated exit (Exit #1 on the Zhongshan MRT Station), we were already treated to a few art work hanging - that actually tells one/leads one to the proper exit for MOCA.... one after another, colorful wall sculptures, amazes all passersby - the two of us included....

After we got up the stairs and actually exited the station, we were once again treated to a bit more colorful sculptures & figures adorning the little park area, around the museums.... Red and White Robots (called BigPow), which are quite interactive as you can plug in your MP3 or iPod and instantly share your fave downloaded music with other passersby; big sized ducks, rabbits, chicken made, in mosaic styles, utilizing ceramic tiles.... colorful giant snails climbing up the walls; brightly colored balloons on top of a little foliage covered Kiosk wows people on the Chang An exit of the MRT station.... Each and everyone of them, just too fun to see.... and will totally bring out the kiddie in you...

Me with BIGPOW!!!

I read that these creations were completed February of this year alone, quite new!!! The project initiated by Taipei city's Department of Cultural Affairs and costed a whopping NT$21 million!!! The management of MOCA oversee the whole project and they turned to 4 local artists for the all the works created.

COMPLETE PHOTOS HERE

A Night At The Museum

not much else to do.... just filling time.... gone over to the National Palace Museum... to view art... to take a break.... to not think too much about all the things that is troubling me....

...it was a beautiful nite.... lovely art objects to see.... people everywhere.... so it worked - for at least a couple of hours, anyway.... always a treat to go to Museums...

...was even treated to Live Entertainment...

A Couple of the Best Pieces On Exhibit

David LaChapelle: World Tour Exhibition

What a Perfect Day to take in the Asian Premiere of David LaChapelle's World Tour Solo Exhibition at Taipei's MOCA on Wednesday April 28th - after all, Wednesday is always dubbed as a HUMP DAY - and the exhibition was oozing with so much SEX APPEAL.... from the naked sexy images.... to the star/celebrity power (Courtney Love reenacting the Pieta; Michael Jackson as Archangel Michael; Madonna as Hindu Goddesses; Leonardo DiCaprio channeling Marlon Brando; Paris Hilton as Herself; etc..).... right down to the VIVID colors of each and every frame exhibited.

Though a lot of the photographs on display I have seen in various fashion and celebrity magazines over the years, such as VOGUE (just about every single International Editions), Vanity Fair, GQ, Rolling Stone, etc.... - it is sooooo wonderful to have a large collections of them in one place..... to be able to take them in in a much bigger version and in a place where one can truly step back and admire the intensity and vividness of each one.... some of his more famous subjects -- from the world of music, movies, television, fashion, and tabloids -- were on display: Madonna, Naomi Campbell, Amanda Lepore, Lady Gaga, Pamela Anderson, Uma Thurman, Paris Hilton, Lil Kim, just to name a few... some of these celebrity shots I have seen in magazines at one time or another, not even knowing it was shot by Mr LaChapelle - but seeing them here, one can see that they just scream: "BY David LaChapelle!!!"... a section was even devoted with in showing on continuous loop, some of the music videos he has directed ("Everytime" by Britney Spears, "It's My Life" by No Doubt, etc...) just as Powerful, colorful, fun and thought provoking as his photographs...

A FAVE Piece of mine is the very large "The Deluge", his take on Michelangelo's great fresco in the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. A video montage is even shown on the making of this particular piece.... from casting call to the actual shoot.... Just Amazing!!!

Part of "The Deluge" panel.
Another favorite section of mine is the "Jesus is My Homeboy" series, done during the early 2000's... here Mr LaChapelle envisions Jesus Christ reborn in present day, preaching his gospel. Mr. LaChapelle placed him as a man of the people and the streets - preaching and caring for the downtrodden and not the high society elite.

There were so many more favorites - so much more that am feeling a second or even third visit is necessary to be able to really take it all in... those of you in Taipei - I HIGHLY RECOMMEND taking in the exhibition -- TRULY a worthwhile experience - I know both Juliana and I enjoyed it tremendously...

EXHIBITION PHOTOS HERE