TAIPEI, Jan. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In April of this year, Taiwan's Executive Yuan announced that the National Taiwan Museum of Comics (NTMC) would be located at the Taichung Prison Officers' Quarters. After eight months of renovation and curatorial planning, the eastern site has officially opened to the public. The NTMC has become not only a part of the cultural life of Taichung but also an important asset of Taiwanese culture. The inauguration ceremony not only invited central and local government officials but also welcomed Kyoto International Manga Museum Director Keisuke Katsushima, Kitakyushu Manga Museum Director Tokihiko Tanaka, Belgian Comic Strip Center Director Isabelle Debekker, British comic curator Paul Gravett, Japanese manga artists Kahoru Fukaya and Keitarō Arima, and esteemed guests from the comic industry. They gathered at one of the three main highlights of the park, the Radiant Banyan, to light up the NTMC and declare the establishment of the NTMC.
Left: NTMC Inauguration Ceremony/Right: “Artisan Soul: Taiwanese Comics ALIVE” Special Exhibition
Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan shared that, "Culture is the soul of a city. Comics are memories that transcend borders and generations." Once fully completed, the NTMC will have functions archives, research, creation, exchanges, etc., and will boost tourism, allowing the public to see the charm of the museum. Minister of Culture Shih Che stated that the "National Taiwan Museum of Comics has a profound mission in fostering the culture of a local region, while also serving as a space for comic artists to create." The Ministry of Culture pointed out that the initial exhibitions at the eastern site, comprising 15 historical buildings, aim for a holistic presentation across the entire park and will feature eight exhibitions and three attractions.
The eight exhibitions are centered around experiencing the allure of comics through "Read, Taste, Reside, Explore, Immerse, Chase, Draw Comics, and Sensory Theatres." We hope that visitors can immerse themselves in the captivating world of comics while embracing the distinctive ambiance of the Officers' Quarters. The "Golden Comic Connection+," held for the first time in Taichung, features a special exhibition titled "The Magic Hour of T-comics" at the key venue of the National Taiwan Museum of Comics. This special exhibit adopts the concept of unlocking time capsules, showcasing classic works, collections, and manuscripts from past Golden Comic Award winners such as Xingqin Liu, Hsu Mao-sung, Yu Long-hui, and Yanzhong Xiao. Invaluable memories from various Golden Comic Award recipients not only unveil collective memories from different generations but also gradually outline the future of NTMC. Additionally, the S-themed special exhibition hall has planned a special exhibition called "Artisan Soul: Taiwanese Comics ALIVE," creatively inspired by "the birth process of a comic book." It showcases the artisanal creation of this year's Golden Comic Award winners and combines interactive AI to invite citizens to draw comics together.
More than that, a special project called "HOSTEL NAME ネーム COMICS in TAIWAN" was designed to extend the concept of residential spaces. This hostel encapsulates the essence of seven romance comics like "Blowing-Up Adventure of Me!" by Hui Hui and "Day Off" by Daily Greens, creating seven distinct spaces tailored to the unique styles of these comic works and their creators. The "Comic Grocery Store" draws inspiration from everyday shops found in Guangmin Ruan's "Yong-Jiu Grocery Store" and Hsieh Tung-lin's "God's Convenience Store." Other exhibitions include "When Taiwanese Comics Become a Spectrum - Exploring Taiwan-Japan Anime Aesthetics" that examines Taiwan's comic lineage through the lens of Japanese manga; "Comic Strikes - Dialogues Between Classics and Generations," features dialogues between eight classic Taiwanese comic artists, such as Ao Youxiang and Yufu, of different generations; an experiential curation space titled "Visual Taste: Peaks Vs. Flavors" that combines comic artist Litalan's work "The Mountain God Family" with the interpretations of five artisans through the sense of taste; as well as other exhibitions such as "Immersed in Comics – A Public Bath Experiences," "The Cover of a Generation – A Recap of Taiwanese Comic Magazines," and "Gan & Nuo – From Comics & Anime to the Telling Tent." Other works featured include those by comic artists KCN (Taiwan), Kaizbow (Taiwan), Li Lung-chieh (Taiwan), Kahoru Fukaya (Japan), and Lucas Paixão (Brazil).
The Ministry of Culture has announced that following the opening of the eastern site of the NTMC, there will be three highlights, including the special nighttime exhibition -"Radiant Banyan Light Show," lighting designs for the Mirror Lake and the NTMC park, and interactive experiences like "Barkley the Cat." There will also be exciting events like the "Man Man Huang" market on weekends as well. For further information on exhibitions and events, please refer to the Preparatory Office of the NTMC's Facebook page:
