Organized by the Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac Museum (musee du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac) in Paris, France, the touring exhibition "Ghosts and Hells: The underworld in Asian art (亞洲的地獄與幽魂)" is launched at the Tainan Art Museum from June 25 to Oct. 16.
Incorporating Taiwanese perspectives, the exhibition is the Taiwan version of a show that was originally put up in the Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac Museum, planned and curated by Julien Rousseau. Featuring traditional artifacts, artworks, and latest pop cultural works, the exhibition takes an insightful look at fears and imaginations of the unknown world in Asia over the centuries, including the ghost legends and paranormal stories in Japan, Thailand and China. It also aims to respond to the narrative of the edition at the Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac Museum and to include works by contemporary Taiwanese artists and film posters of local ghosts and monsters. The participating Taiwanese artists include Lin Yi-chi (林羿綺), Hou Chun-ting (侯春廷), Yao Jui-chung (姚瑞中), Chang Ki-ya (張季雅), Liang Ting-yu (梁廷毓), Chen Yun (陳云), Huang Chien-lun (黃千倫), Tsai Charwei (蔡佳葳), Yan Chung-hsien (顏忠賢).
Additionally, the exhibition also presents collections from the National Museum of Taiwan History and Xuejia Ciji Temple (學甲慈濟宮), aiming to respond to the temple culture and legends of Tainan and provide a richer knowledge of ghosts and monsters from the local perspective.
According to the Tainan Art Museum, the legends of ghosts and monsters reveal the lifestyle and valuable culture of the past, and visitors in Taiwan can rethink their cultural experiences from a new perspective through the exhibition.
(Photo Credit: Tainan Art Musuem)