Amidst the global pandemic, the 2021 Taoyuan International Print Exhibition has managed to put together excellent works of printmaking art from around the world. It also gathers together different generations of Taiwan’s printmaking artists in an international exchange event where we attempt to examine the nature of this world and the significance of our times. It is an attempt to re-examine the global situations and explore ways through which printmaking artists can respond with their art and creativity. We are seeking new expressions and interpretations for such a global predicament fraught with pandemic-induced uncertainty, insecurity and volatility.

 

This beautiful and vibrant city of Taoyuan is also inviting us into a different layer of imagination: The classic story of three legendary heroes who pledge their loyalty to each other and to their sovereign in a place called Taoyuan – a historical namesake in ancient China. One of the characters in the Chinese title of this exhibition, “Yi,” is meant to be a pun carrying triple significations: “Yi” is a homonym of two Chinese words respectively meaning “loyalty” and “rendition”; and it of course sounds like the English letter “e” as in electronics. This is what this exhibition is all about: an international exchange activity bonding artists through a re/presentation of printmaking art that still treasures the originality of handmaking against the grain in this digital world of electronics.  

        

Early on, printmaking techniques were developed to facilitate the dissemination of knowledge. As times and technology evolve, printmaking has been taking on new looks. But the readiness for sharing is unique to prints, a characteristic that is lacking in other forms of art. Printmaking can be rightly described as an art derived from ordinary people’s lives. “Print Out Times” combines cross-media expressions and cultural creative ideas in a re/presentation of the multiplicity of traditional and contemporary printmaking art.      

 

The exhibition is divided into three themes: 

 

"Creative Prints" is the main part of the show. It presents original works by both established and young aspiring artists in different forms and expressions of printmaking art, including two-dimensional, three dimensional, installation and video pieces. The cross-media works particularly take viewers to new realms of experience. This section is subdivided into three categories: “International Classics,” “Mini Prints,” and “Mixed-media Prints.”   

 

"Printmaking Processes" is another theme of the exhibition, explaining to visitors the different techniques of conventional and modern printmaking – intaglio, relief printing, lithography and serigraphy. The static displays, dynamic video explanations and physical workshops of this section will take visitors through the printmaking processes.

 

Another theme of the exhibition, “Printmaking Extensions,” calls attention to the creative application of printmaking art to daily lives. Emerging brands from the cultural creative industry will show visitors how artistic elements can be employed to enrich our daily lives. There are cultural creative merchandises available for purchase and a DIY section where visitors can create their own items.

 

Through the different forms of printmaking we hope to give Taoyuan citizens a different kind of art experience. We also hope the Taoyuan International Printmaking Exhibition will invigorate artistic and cultural activities in Taiwan, elevate Taiwan’s printmaking art, better international exchange, and bring comfort to the world.