Taiwanese artist Czili (???) has won a silver medal at the 13th Florence Biennale in Italy with an installation artwork that celebrates the importance of the human relationship with nature.
Czili's "Red Gate, a Red Imprint," which captured second place in the Installation Art category, is a red iron door decorated with the image of a young woman adorned with branches and leaves.
Framed against a mountainous backdrop, the door represents a transition between spaces and reflects a level of consciousness with nature, according to a description of the work by the event.
The artwork also echoes the theme of the event, "Eternal Feminine, Eternal Change," according to Taiwan's Ministry of Culture.
Czili attended the award ceremony in person on Oct. 31 and took to Facebook afterwards to express her surprise and gratitude.
"I'm excited and happy! I received an award at the Florence Biennale. Sharing here with all my friends and family. Thank you all for your constant support!" she wrote in Spanish.
Born in Keelung, northern Taiwan, the 57-year-old multidisciplinary artist has lived in Madrid since 1982. She worked in the performing arts, which prompted her interest in lighting and sound and opening her to the possibilities of installation art.
Another Taiwanese artist honored at the Florence Biennale was Lin Chi-yu (???), who received a "Special Commendation from the President" for three of his works -- Golden Tai Chi, Golden Wheats, and Black Tide.
The 56-year-old artist could not receive the award in person, but instead took to Facebook to thank the international jury for the awards.
Taiwanese photographer Hsu Ma-li (???) also was recognized, taking fifth place in the Photography category.
A total of 369 artists from 55 countries, including seven Taiwanese, participated in the Biennale held from Oct. 23-31 at Fortezza da Basso in Florence, according to the Taipei Representative Office in Italy.
The event, which was first held in 1997, is one of three major art exhibitions in Italy, along with the Venice Biennale and the Rome Quadriennale.
Taiwanese artists fared well in the last Florence Biennale in 2019. Jonathan Liao (???) and Pey-chwen Lin (???) won gold in the Photography and New Media Art categories, respectively, and Chien Chun-yuan (???) took third place in the Textile and Fiber Art category.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel