Taiwan’s Newest Contemporary Art Museum Unveils Inaugural Exhibitions
The New Taipei City Art Museum is the city’s first contemporary art institution and heralds a growing cultural scene in the region, with new museums also slated to open in Taichung and Taoyuan. Save to My Ocula
New Taipei City will welcome its first contemporary art museum with the opening of New Taipei City Art Museum (NTCAM) on 25 April.
The museum is situated at the confluence of the Yingge and Dahan rivers in the Sanying Reclaimed Land area of the Yingge District, half an hour west from the capital, Taipei.
The NTCAM will launch with five major exhibitions including a collection presentation led by art historian Andrew Shih-Ming Pai and co-curated by Ting Tsou. The presentation will feature works by 45 artists with ties to the city or its cultural history, including Wu Tien-Chang, Yuan Goang-Ming, and Richard Lin.
Another highlight is a group show co-curated by Amy Cheng and Hsieh Feng-Rong, showcasing local talents such as Musquiqui Chihying and Joyce Ho alongside international artists like Philippe Parreno, Michael Rakowitz, Haegue Yang, and Ho Rui An. The exhibition examines the evolution of industry under globalisation and reflects New Taipei’s role as an industrial hinterland that has long supported the economy of its neighbouring capital.
Lai Hsiangling, NTCAM’s inaugural director, previously oversaw the establishment of Shanghai‘s Rockbund Art Museum (2010) and the Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-LAB) in Taipei (2018), institutions that have shaped the cultural landscapes of their respective cities and remain key pillars of their art scenes today.
In a statement, Lai described NTCAM’s intent to be ‘a responsive institution that listens to our community.’
‘By taking an inclusive approach and encouraging dialogue between different groups, we aspire to make a meaningful impact on society,’ Lai said.
The NTCAM building, designed by KRIS YAO | ARTECH, has a distinct facade of irregular vertical tubes that accentuate the elevated main structure, while the base seamlessly connects to the surrounding landscape. Smaller pavilions positioned beneath and around the central building offer an immersive experience, blending interior and exterior spaces while evoking a character and sense of community that mirrors that of the nearby Yingge Old Street, a historic area renowned as Taiwan’s ceramic and pottery centre.
The opening of NTCAM marks a significant addition to Taiwan’s arts and culture institutions; a new museum is set to open in Taichung later this year, while another is scheduled to open in Taoyuan in 2026. —[O]
Main image: Exterior of New Taipei City Art Museum. Courtesy NTCAM. Photo: Hideaki Hamada.
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