Taipei Dangdai 2023: 5 Directors Preview Their Booths

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1. Daniel Müller, Director at Sies + Höke, Düsseldorf

After our first successful participation at Taipei Dangdai in 2020 with a solo presentation with Jonathan Meese, we have decided to show more artists from our programme.

One focus lies on the paintings of Federico Herrero, one of the most important Latin American artists. We will also present a new body of work by João Maria Gusmão for the first time.

2. Idoia Fernández, Co-founder of NF/NIEVES FERNÁNDEZ, Madrid

We have gathered works by creators—from Austrian artist Arnulf Rainer to Mexico’s Moris and Japan’s Chiharu Shiota—who work with images and cultural references that challenge us at the individual level.

That some of them, such as Swiss artist Rafael Grassi­, have not yet been presented to the Taiwanese public also influenced our selection.

In the Hand is a bronze sculpture by Chiharu Shiota. This work is very different from her better-known pieces: in addition to its peculiar technique, it is an extremely special sculpture that portrays the artist’s own hands at the time when she overcame a disease, back in 2017.

El vendaval and La borrasca are both works on canvas by Moris. The visual reference to Hokusai serves here to refer to Mexican daily life. Moris works overlapping images to describe the social reality in the country where he lives and works.

3. Mimi Chun, Founder of Blindspot Gallery, Hong Kong

We are presenting a solo exhibition of emerging Hong Kong painter Un Cheng’s work in the Edge sector for our first time participating at Taipei Dangdai.

Un Cheng’s paintings are derived from the snapshots she takes in her home city of Hong Kong, reflecting her heartfelt desire for connection in an isolating metropolis.

In the second piece, NO BARGIN $10!, a street vendor bends down to reach for vegetables, unveiling the rich floral pattern on her shirt which mirrors the vegetables she sells.

Offended by Cheng taking her photograph, the lady persuaded her to buy from her store as a fair trade-off.

4. Sabine Vazieux, Founder of Galerie Vazieux, Paris

The gallery specialises in artists from the Asian diaspora living in Europe and the U.S. I have studied in depth the first generation of Taiwanese artists, who are considered pioneers of Chinese abstraction, such as Chuang Che and Fong Chung-Ray.

Over time, I have also discovered historical Taiwanese artists who have settled in France, such as Chen Ying-Teh and A-Sun Wu.

We are presenting exceptional paintings of Chuang Che that are difficult to find on the market, and among them a large beautiful one from 1984.

We are also presenting an exclusive selection of paintings by Chen Ying-Teh from his ‘Blue China’ series, an historical and emblematic series of the artist. These paintings have never been exhibited in Taiwan before.

5. Yun Duhyun, Director at KICHE, Seoul

We have previously taken part in several art fairs held in China, and we decided to participate in Taipei Dangdai to broaden our opportunities and increase our exposure throughout other regions of Asia.

The Morning After and Hard Work are our highlights at the fair. They are the newest artworks by Ryu Yaerim, and we’re excited to present them for the first time at Taipei Dangdai. —[O]

Main image: Federico Herrero, Untitled, (2011). Oil, acrylic, spray paint, and marker pen on canvas. 200 x 270 cm. Photo: Achim Kukulies, Düsseldorf. Courtesy the artist and Sies + Höke, Düsseldorf.