Wang Wen Chih
Cave Urban E. info@caveurban.com P. 02 9363 5952 W. www.caveurban.com
Wang Wen-Chih was born in the high mountains of Chiayi Country in Taiwan 1959. Graduating from the Chinese Culture University’s Department of Fine Arts, he went on to obtain a Master of Fine Arts from the Taipei National University of Arts in Taiwan. He studied in France, where he became a member of the Artists Association of France. He currently lives in his hometown in Chiayi Country, Taiwan. Master Wang represented Taiwan at the 2001 Venice Biennial and has produced major public art projects in Asia (Taiwan, Japan), Europe (France, Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic), America (United States, Canada and Australia. Master Wang has spent many years creating amazing installations with bamboo, wood and rattan. His dynamic structures give the audiences profound spatial experiences by balancing the meaning of the materiality, the beauty of the structure and the transformation of the space. Most recently his work aims to establish a comprehensive contact between body and nature. Senses of touch, smell and memory of light are substantial in his work. The large quantity of handmade weaving skills echoes the traditional techniques that Master Wang learned during his time living in the mountains of Chiayi. His massive and labour intensive installations invite the community to easily participate in the building process.
Cave Urban was started as a research and development arm of our existing architectural practice. Its aim was to explore vernacular systems and materials used for contemporary sustainable design solutions. We embarked upon a series of research folios, the first of which examined bamboo and lightweight structures. We looked at the work of artists and architects around the world as well as traditional archetypes. Of all the artists we covered Wen-Chih’s work was the most exciting. He made great use of a vernacular material and methodology, in a bold and daring manner, to create spiritual works that went beyond the structure itself. I first experienced the work of Wen-Chih, at the Setouchi Triennial on the island of Shodoshima in Japan’s Inland Sea. Visiting his sculpture the ‘Light of Shodoshima’ was a profoundly moving experience. I then had the good fortune of travelling to Taiwan to visit WenChih and his wonderful family in his home town, Chiayi. We made plans for our first project together and found that our love of bamboo and art, transcended any language barriers. With the help of Wen-Chih’s partner Mei-Wen and their daughter Chi-Chi translating we were able to cement our friendship and our desire for future collaboration.
Nici Long Cave Urban
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Wang Wen-Chih 1959 Born in Chiayi, Taiwan. Master, Institute of Fine Arts, Taipei National University of the Arts, Taipei, Taiwan.
Major Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions
2016 Setouchi Triennial 2016, Shodoshima, Japan “Quandong Dream”, The Planting Festival, Woodford, Australia 2015 Water and Land Niigata Art Festival 2015, Niigata City, Japan 2014 “Woven Cloud“, Woodford Art Festival, Woodford, Australia “Beyond the Site II“, Taiwan Fine Arts Museum, Taichung, Taiwan. 2013 “Woven Sky“, Woodford Art Festival, Woodford, Australia Setouchi Triennial 2013, Shodoshima, Japan HÖHENRAUSCH.3-The Art of Towers, O.K Centre for Contemporary Art, Austria “The Sky Scraping Tree” (commissioned), Chiayi, Taiwan 2012 Water and Land Niigata Art Festival 2012, Niigata City, Japan “Song of the Forest” (commissioned), Alishan Forest Village, Chiayi, Taiwan 2011 “Rippling Moonlit Talk” (commissioned), Lantan Lake Tourist District, Chiayi, Taiwan 2010 International Setouchi Art Festival 2010, Shodoshima, Japan “Garden Sky”, Taipei International Flora Exposition 2010, Taiwan 2009 “Cloud Soaring Hand”, Taipei Deaf Olympics, Taipei, Taiwan Niigata Water and Land Art Festival 2009, Niigata City, Japan 2007 Prague Quadrennial 07, Industrial Palace, Prague, Czech Republic. 2001 Taiwan Pavilion, The 49th Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy 2010 Installation, Taiwan Lantern Festival 2010, Plaza of Chiayi Park, Chiayi, Taiwan. 2007 Harbour Front Centre, Toronto, Canada. 2006 Kaohsung Cultural Centre, Kaohsung, Taiwan. 2005 Vermont Studio Centre Gallery, Johnson, USA. Hwashan Culture Park, Taipei, Taiwan. Plaza of National Theatre Concert Hall, Taipei, Taiwan. Children’s Museum of Art and Creativity, Kaohsung Fine Arts Museum, Kaohsung. Flower Arts Festival , Taipei National University of Arts, Taipei, Taiwan. 2002 Bamboo Curtain Studio, Taipei, Taiwan. 2000 Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan. 1999 Alternative Space, Chiayi, Taiwan. 1995 Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.
Select Group Exhibitions
2007 Convergence of Mountain and Sea Exhibition, Plaza of Chiayi County Hall, Taiwan. 2006 Vivacious State Exhibition, Taiwan Orchid Park, Tainan, Taiwan 2005 Guandu Flower Arts Festival , Taipei National University of Arts, Taipei, Taiwan. 2004 18 Solo Exhibitions, Kin-Men County, Taiwan. The Multiform Nineties : Taiwan’s Art Branches Out, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan. Guandu Flower Arts Festival , Taipei National University of Arts, Taipei, Taiwan. 2003 Chin-shan International Landscape Sculpture Exhibition, Juming Museum, Taipei County, Taiwan. Flower Arts Festival , Taipei National University of Arts, Taipei, Taiwan. 2002 2002 Public Art Festival Water Charter, Taipei City Hall, Taipei, Taiwan. Homecoming: Revising the Venice Experience in Taiwan, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan. Habitation, Fubon Arts Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan. 2001 Kaohsung International container arts Festival 2001, Kaohsung Fine Arts Museum, Kaohsung, Taiwan. 2000 An Urban Archaeology: Digging, Linking & Making, Huashan Arts District, Taipei, Taiwan. 1999 “Art in March: Legend 99”, Council for Cultural Planning Development of Executive Yuan , Nantau, Taiwan. 1997 “River: New Asian art-A dialogue in Taipei”, Taipei County Cultural Centre, Taipei County, Taiwan. “Installation Art in Taiwan”, Chiayi, Taiwan. 1994 Eslite Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan. 1993 Salon de la Jeune Peinture, Paris, France. 1990 World Triennial Exhibition of Small Ceramics, Zagreb, Yugoslavia. Contemporary Art Trends of the Republic of China 1990, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan. 1988 Contemporary Art Trends of the Republic of China 1988, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.
Art Awards
2013 Best Public Landscape, Yuan-yin Award, “ Song of the Forest “, Association of Kaohsiung building operating 2012 Best Public Landscape, Yuan-yin Award, “Rippling Moonlit Talk”, Association of Kaohsiung building operating 2010 1st prize, Taipei Flower Exposition 2010- the most popular garden of the world, and the 1st AIPH prize, Taipei International Flora Exposition 2010 2007 Gold Medal for Best Use of Technology, Prague Quadrennial 07, Prague, Czech Republic. 2003 Top 8, TaiShing Arts Visual Arts Award , TaiShing Bank Arts Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan. 1997 Excellence Award,, “River: New Asian art-A dialogue in Taipei”, Taipei County Cultural Centre, Taipei County, Taiwan. 1993 Selected, Salon de la Jeune Peinture, Paris, France. 1990 Selected, World Triennial Exhibition of Small Ceramics, Zagreb, Yugoslavia. Selected, Contemporary Art Trends of the Republic of China 1990, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan. 1988 Excellence Award, Contemporary Art Trends of the Republic of China 1988, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.
Residences
2005 Vermont Studio Centre, Johnson, USA. 2002 Bamboo Curtain Studio, Taipei, Taiwan. Taipei International Artists Village, Taipei, Taiwan 1999 Chiayi Railway Artist Village, Chiayi, Taiwan.
Selected Works
Path, 2000 Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Tower in the Forest, 2007 Convergence of Mountain and Sea, Chiayi, Taiwan.
Beyond the Water, 2009 Water and Land Art Festival, Niigata, Japan. 9
House of Shodoshima, 2010 Setouchi Triennial, Shodoshima, Japan.
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Tower of Light, 2010 Taipei International Flora Exposition, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Phoenix from the Flames, 2012 Water and Land Art Festival, Niigata, Japan.
Rippling Moonlit Talk, 2012 Lantan Lake, Chiayi, Taiwan. 15
Song of the Forest, 2012 Alishan Forest Village, Chiayi, Taiwan.
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HÖHENRAUSCH.3, 2013 O.K Centre for Contemporary Art, Linz, Austria.
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Light of Shodoshima, 2013 Setouchi Triennial, Shodoshima, Japan.
Beyond the Site II, 2014 Taiwan Fine Arts Museum, Taichung, Taiwan. 21
Flying Bamboo, 2015 Taiwan Fine Arts Museum, Taichung, Taiwan.
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Flying Bamboo II, 2015 Taiwan Fine Arts Museum, Taichung, Taiwan.
Joy of Tea, 2016 National Palace Museum, Chaiyi, Taiwan. 25
Works Assisted by Cave Urban
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Woven Sky, 2013 Woodford Folk Festival, Woodfordia, Australia.
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Magic Castle, 2014 Nananto Taiji, Nananto, Taiwan.
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Woven Cloud, 2014 Woodford Folk Festival, Woodfordia, Australia.
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Dream of Niigata, 2015 Water and Land Art Festival, Niigata, Japan.
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Getting Together, 2015 Civic Commission, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
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Dream of Olive, 2015 Setouchi Triennial, Shodoshima, Japan.
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Quandong Dream, 2016 The Planting Festival, Woodfordia, Australia.
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Cave Urban E. info@caveurban.com P. 02 9363 5952 W. www.caveurban.com
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