Tainan: Taiwan's first national museum dedicated to contemporary Taiwanese art is set to open in Tainan, southern Taiwan, with the establishment of a preparatory office on March 25, as announced by the Ministry of Culture (MOC) on Tuesday. The initiative marks a significant step toward preserving and showcasing the nation's artistic heritage.
According to Focus Taiwan, artists and their families have long advocated for such a museum to support research, archiving, and the display of contemporary Taiwanese art. Minister of Culture Li Yuan highlighted that many artists have shown their support by donating works to the preparatory office, following a joint statement backing the museum's creation.
The Tainan City government has agreed to allocate building 2 of the Tainan Art Museum as the location for the new museum. This establishment will become Taiwan's second national museum of fine arts, joining the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts in Taichung.
The MOC, after consulting with descendants of late Taiwanese artists and researchers, has decided that the National Tainan Museum of Fine Arts will feature a permanent exhibition of contemporary Taiwanese artworks from 1895 to 1960. This new museum is anticipated to alleviate the space constraints at the Taichung museum, which has been challenged by storage limitations since its inception in 1988.
While the exact opening date of the Tainan museum has not been announced, the MOC confirmed that the Tainan Art Museum will host exhibitions at the new site within the year.