~“Alive Art in the Renaissance” Immersive Exhibition~ at EcoARK Pavillion

Even after a four-year stay in Prague ten years ago, I have not been to a place where there were so much cultural offerings as in Taiwan. On April 7, thanks to the always motivating and exciting activities organized by members from Welcome to Taipei International Club, I had the occasion to experience a yet different artistic expression—or shall I say—a modern, and creative way to present some of the most traditional and well-known art.

The “Alive Art in the Renaissance,” Exhibition featured at the Taipei International Flora Expo’s Pavilion, is a digital exhibit showcasing some of the best well- known works by Italy’s Tuscany masters of the Renaissance period: Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raffaello and Botticelli, as well as the much younger Milanese artist Caravaggio. Here you get to see paintings that you have probably seen reproduced hundreds of times in books, post cards, posters, etc.; and there is even also a pretty good chance that you have would have seen originals themselves. And yet, the uniqueness of this exhibition is the use of technology to blow up the images to sizes much larger than life, allowing you to notice details that you probably have missed every other time. Moreover, at one point during your visit, you will see Mona Lisa, Adam, Plato and Aristotle, Venus, Medusa, moving above, below, by your side and across you, complemented by the sounds of music from the same historical period when those masterworks were crafted. We are talking about paintings converted into films being projected onto 5-meter-tall walls, from the floor to the ceiling.

For this exhibit, the WTIC organizers had arranged something very special in store for us non-Mandarin speakers: Mrs. Anna Lisa Ghini, the spouse of the Italian Representative in Taiwan, gave us a unique, delightful, and extremely well-prepared introduction, not only to what we would see in the exhibit, but to the actual framework of it all: the Renaissance period and the transition—the actual revolution— it meant vis-à-vis medieval times. Mrs. Ghini explained to us the historical meaning of the Renaissance and its key features, and placed us not in Italy— a non-existent concept at the time—but in Florence and its unique position as the entrepreneurial city-state, and the center of business and art patrons. It was in the new age of socio-political and economic development which brought about a new understanding of humankind and the consequent appreciation of the human forms and inner feelings which were featured in new and sophisticated artistic expressions, displayed in shapes, use of colors, shades and perspective.

Moreover, Mrs. Ghini pointed out to us meaningful insights and details about some of the world’s most renown paintings, such as the wind blowing upon Botticelli’s Venus, or her identity; or the presence of Caravaggio’s face in almost all his paintings and the reason for that. Particularly striking for me in that respect, was the fact that as much as I love The School of Athens, I had seldom looked beyond the two overly attractive center figures, thereby ignoring all the surrounding philosophers until technology improved the size and quality of the reproduction. I had never even noticed that Raffaello himself is in the painting, until Mrs. Ghini identified him for us.

Finally, perhaps the piece in the exhibit that best exemplifies the richness of the technology adding to our artistic appreciation, is the reproduction of the frescos in the dome of the Florence Cathedral. If you were to try to see “The Last Judgement” in Florence, you would have to use binoculars and lay down on the floor for quite some time. Through the application of technology, you get to admire every detail of the fresco as if you were inside the church and elevated high up close to the dome. In addition to seeing the work up close, Mrs. Ghini also explained the genesis of the fascinating work and the reason for having two painters —Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari.

I could have missed so many wonders available in Taiwan, had it not been for WTIC’s initiatives and generous invitations. The “Alive Art in Renaissance” Exhibition is certainly one of them. Thank you again, WTIC!

By Celina Hoyos-Torres Spouse of Head of Mexico Trade Services, Documentation and Culture Office

~A Visit to Jeffrey D. Schwartz Jewish Community Center~

On a cool, breezy beautiful autumn day, ladies coming from different parts of Taipei met in front of the Jeffrey D. Schwartz Jewish community Center; a pristine, middle-eastern style white building standing solemnly in a quiet alley of Ren’ai Road. In the building, our guide showed us the many Judaica ritual objects, paintings, and Jewish art collected by the founder, Mr. Schwartz, who is also the CEO of Four Star Group, Inc. We were then taken to see the Mikveh, the ritual bath for spiritual purification. the JTCA organization, Mr. Glenn Leibowitz explained during our tour, “This is a place built for the Jewish community in Taiwan. It is also for anyone who is interested in learning about Judaism, Jewish history, culture, and the Hebrew language.” Not only is the Jeffrey D. Schwartz Jewish Community Center a remarkable contribution to the Jewish community in Taiwan, it is also a significant contribution to Taiwan’s cultural diversity.

On the top floor is a beautiful spacious ballroom where we later had lunch.

We were enchanted to discover an outdoor courtyard paved with colorful middle-eastern motif tiles located between the ballroom and the Synagogue. In the House of Worship, our guide showed us the Torah, explained how the Jewish people worship on the Jewish Day of Rest – Shabbat. After a tour to the Kosher Culinary Lab and the restaurant, we enjoyed an authentic kosher meal, savoring delicious dishes such as hummus, falafel, kebab, shakshouka, just to name a few. The highlight of the tour was meeting Mr. Schwartz in person. It was a pleasure to hear him speak about the many years of work it took to make the center come true.

By Stasia Chen

The trip to the center is an eye-opening experience for people like myself who has very little about the Jewish history and culture. As

Mr. Jeffrey D. Schwartz and the CEO of

This morning I tried my hand at painting for the first time in a watercolor painting class, resulting in a product (I wouldn’t call it a work of art) that easily could have been produced by my four-year old granddaughter.

My attempt to learn how to paint only increased my immense admiration for Liu Yong ( 劉墉 ), the artist, author and educator whose ”Painting My Childhood” exhibition at the Grand Courtyard we visited on October 22 with the WTIC Art & Culture Interest Group. Mr Liu’s son, Liu Xuan, guided and explained his father’s work to the English-speaking part of the group.

From the first painting, depicting Liu Yong’s childhood memories of the Grand Courtyard, to the last, memories of his Alma Mater, Long An Elementary school, we were drawn into the paintings, mesmerized by the stories, intrigued by all the little characters, each with their own activities: children climbing trees or sliding from hills, flying kites and playing games like hide and seek, adults doing their daily chores, cooking, gambling, fishing, arguing, celebrating, eating and drinking.

Liu Yong has published over 100 books and his story-telling capacities are reflected in every painting. Even the ones with “just” flowers tell their own stories, like the painting of the cactus that bloomed for the first time the night his youngest daughter was born. The bird paintings also tell stories: the birds are never just there, they interact, fight or flee. The paintings with landscapes and buildings tell the stories of Liu Yong’s own life, from sneaking into the Grand Courtyard as a child, fishing with his father, losing the house he lived in due to a great fire, to living with his mother in a small shack, the stories go on and on.

Because of Liu Yong’s rich imagination, narrative style and marvelous creativity, these paintings leave a lasting impression. As for me, after my first painting class, I will from now on confine myself to being the admiring spectators of other people’s creations!

By Marijke Stijne

In October, 2022, two special exhibitions: “Four Leisure Activities—Arranging Flowers, Burning Incense, Hanging Paintings, Tasting Tea” and “All That Flourishes Under the Brush: The Late Ming Culturati Wang Shizhen”, were shown at the National Palace Museum (NPM). The two exhibition covers a period of five centuries of art and culture.

The “Four Leisure Activities” is dedicated to the taste and aesthetic from the Song (960-1279) to the Yuan Dynasties (1271-1368). According to Record of Mi llet Dream(12th century), flower arranging, incense burning, painting hanging, and tea tasting activities can refine the spirit and living.

The curators from the two departments have selected items for the four sections, rare books, historical documents, calligraphies, paintings, porcelains, bronzes, lacquer wares items. Precious monochrome porcelains also added special charm to the exhibition.

The NPM also invited the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, the Ryoko-in Sanctuary in the Daitoku-ji Temple and the National Central Library in Taiwan to join. The 21 porcelains loan by the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, including 2 National Treasures and 3 Important Cultural Properties and the Korean Goryeo celadons etc. were highlights of the exhibition.

“All That Flourishes Under the Brush” based on writings of Wang Shizhen (1526-1590), a historian, litterateur, art critic and collector during the late Ming dynasty (1368-1644). He became a Presented Scholar at 22, but at 34, after his father, Prominent Official Wang Shu (1507-1560) has been executed by the Grand Secretary Yan Song (1480-1567), he returned to the Southern China and resided in the garden he designed. His vision and theories regarding history, and his appreciations for the calligraphies from the 3rd to 10th centuries and porcelains, paintings between 11th to 12th centuries have influenced literates and scholars of later generations.

The curatorial teams from the two departments have curated six sections: Prologue: Art Collecting and Family Disaster Becoming an All-around Scholar of Culture and Authority; Collecting and Studying for a Comprehensive Art-Historical View; Rising Competitions in Social Status and Regional Development; Trendsetter in the Definition of Prosperity; A Son's Revenge and Making History. Several paintings and calligraphies from the 3rd to 16th centuries, classified as National Treasures, have enriched the exhibition.

By Lisette Lou