2024-9-18
Cathy Teng /photo by Ministry of Culture /tr. by Brandon Yen

 

Winning Together!Taiwan at the Cultural Olympiad
Winning Together!Taiwan at the Cultural Olympiad


“Hot” is no doubt the word that best describes the summer of 2024. While the planet finds itself sweating under the blazing sun, a feeling of fraternity is spreading across the globe like wildfire. As the host of the first Olympic games since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, Paris is the center of the world’s ardent attention.


Olympic athletes push the limits of the human body, seeking to bring glory to the countries they represent. Outside the stadiums, the Cultural Olympiad is just as full of energy and splendor. There, Taiwan supports its athletes through the arts, with 24 groups putting on more than 50 performances during a span of 15 days. These are shows that promise to dazzle the world.

 

Sue Wang says that the Taiwanese cultural program at the Paris Olympics seeks to convey the message that Taiwan’s social harmony is founded upon mutual understanding and toleration. (photo by Lin Min-hsuan)
Sue Wang says that the Taiwanese cultural program at the Paris Olympics seeks to convey the message that Taiwan’s social harmony is founded upon mutual understanding and toleration. (photo by Lin Min-hsuan)


Presenting Taiwan

Have you been following the Taiwanese shows at the Cultural Olympiad in Paris?


Swing your body with DJ Elvis Lin as he brings together groovy music from France and Taiwan. Or listen to singer‡songwriter Hsieh Ming-yu play the acoustic guitar with his Pun Car Band as they pay tribute to Taiwan’s dauntless spirit through those classic lines: “If there’s a road, we sing as we tread; / If there’s no road, we ford the streams and cross the mountains.”


In collaboration with French dancers, Les Petites Choses Production presents Little Island, Big Feast, a performance that forges new connections through a traditional Taiwanese round dining table and shares Taiwan’s story with friends from across the world. Drag queen Nymphia Wind and the Haus of Wind girls capture Taiwan’s island scenery and culture in Formosa Follies, regaling the world with the country’s hospitality, diversity, and folk beliefs. The Chiayi-based Our Theatre and other troupes have joined forces to bring out As You Like It, a new rendition of traditional Asian opera that underscores Taiwan’s achievements in the pursuit of gender equality.


All of these shows carry authentically Taiwanese flavors, embodying the essence of our culture. As a demo­cracy that prizes cultural diversity, Taiwan is keen to present its beauty and goodwill to the world so that the international community may continue to cherish the vital role we play in global affairs.

 

Visitors to the Cultural Olympiad receive distinctively Taiwanese gift packs: traditional tote bags containing snacks and souvenirs.
Visitors to the Cultural Olympiad receive distinctively Taiwanese gift packs: traditional tote bags containing snacks and souvenirs.

 

The performers representing Taiwan at the Cultural Olympiad are mostly artists born and bred on our islands. They exude a natural air of freedom and diversity. DJ Dungi Sapor, for example, combines the ancient melodies of the indigenous Amis people with modern electronic music to create a mesmerizing mix.
The performers representing Taiwan at the Cultural Olympiad are mostly artists born and bred on our islands. They exude a natural air of freedom and diversity. DJ Dungi Sapor, for example, combines the ancient melodies of the indigenous Amis people with modern electronic music to create a mesmerizing mix.


Boosting Taiwan’s presence

An exhilarating series of events to accompany the Summer Olympics, the 2024 Cultural Olympiad is taking place at venues all over Paris and throughout France. Taiwan’s cultural program is being staged in the Parc de la Villette, a large park at the ­northeastern edge of the French capital which houses a cluster of cultural venues. Deputy Minister of Culture Sue Wang tells us: “This time, it was the host country that invited Taiwan to take part.”


The magnitude of the occasion compels our artists to present Taiwanese culture at its very best, to “bring to Europe that sense of bustling festivity which characterizes Taiwan,” says Lin Kun Ying, curator of the Taiwanese cultural program at the Paris Olympics and cofounder of the internationally renowned art collective Luxury Logico. What aspects of Taiwanese culture should be presented in Paris? Wang says that many possibilities were proposed and debated. But it all boiled down to the fact that “our Cultural Olympiad program aims to support our Olympic athletes through culture, giving Taiwan’s presence a boost.”


Not only the content and rationale of the program but also the format of representation was the subject of much discussion, with the concept evolving from one based on exhibitions to one of dynamic ­performances.

 

Lin Kun Ying says that the rich diversity of our cultural program’s content is itself a very Taiwanese thing: the offering is all-embracing and organic, creative and relaxed, but also grounded in expertise. (photo by Lin Min-hsuan)
Lin Kun Ying says that the rich diversity of our cultural program’s content is itself a very Taiwanese thing: the offering is all-embracing and organic, creative and relaxed, but also grounded in expertise. (photo by Lin Min-hsuan)

 

Ephemeral as they are, the performances require a lot of preparation. The staff behind the scenes work hard to turn each show into an indelible experience for the audience.
Ephemeral as they are, the performances require a lot of preparation. The staff behind the scenes work hard to turn each show into an indelible experience for the audience.


Taiwan in Europe

Taiwan’s determination to shine at the Cultural Olympiad in Paris has been gathering momentum for some time. In early April this year, the National Symphony Orchestra performed in six cities across Switzerland, Germany, and France. In late June, the Ju Percussion Group put on Energy ∞ Infinite at the Salle Gaveau in Paris, heralding other Taiwanese performances at the Cultural Olympiad.


The Taiwan Cultural Center in Paris, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, was invited to participate in the city’s Nuit Blanche. For this annual night-time arts festival organized by the Council of Paris, the Taiwanese design studio Bito mounted a display entitled Tsiò, which used visual technology to reinterpret traditional Daoist rituals, offering prayers for the world.


These performances bear witness to what François Chihchung Wu, deputy minister of foreign affairs and former representative of Taiwan to France, said at the opening of the Taiwanese cultural program in Paris: in addition to its freedom, democracy, and semiconductor industry, “Taiwan is a country that boasts a rich culture.”

 

François Chihchung Wu, deputy foreign affairs minister and former Taiwan representative in France, says that the Cultural Olympiad in Paris provides a window on Taiwan as a country with a rich culture.
François Chihchung Wu, deputy foreign affairs minister and former Taiwan representative in France, says that the Cultural Olympiad in Paris provides a window on Taiwan as a country with a rich culture.

 

Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim says that Taiwan’s participation in the Cultural Olympiad showcases our island’s vitality and creativity.
Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim says that Taiwan’s participation in the Cultural Olympiad showcases our island’s vitality and creativity.


Hybrid culture

“Economic prosperity makes a country strong, while culture makes it great,” said Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim at a press conference in June. The Cultural Olympiad represents an opportunity for Taiwan to showcase its vitality and creativity to the wider world.


Taiwan’s performing arts program for the Cultural Olympiad is built around four themes: Sound of Freedom, Island Elegance, Contemporary New Art, and World Integration. Together, these themes tell the story of the country’s quest for social harmony and shared prosperity in diversity. Sue Wang recalls the criteria followed by the organizers when selecting performance groups to invite: “We hoped to present the future of Taiwan, that is, the new generations born since Taiwan’s democratization. They exude a natural sense of freedom and diversity.”


“Each of these groups also brings with it a mélange of diverse characteristics.” Wang draws our attention to Hybrid Demi-Human, whose offerings combine the electronic rhythms of techno with industrial sounds gathered from Kao­hsiung’s shipyards. Their hybrid creative style is a marriage of Western electronic music and local Taiwanese culture.


Chiu Shu-chan, winner of the 2024 Golden Melody Award for Best Hakka Album, sings ballads whose cadences are rooted in her native Hakka culture. The Hakka band Sam-seng-hiàn-gē has collected festive music from Taiwan’s temple fairs, integrating traditional instruments—suona, gongs, and drums—into electronic music. Their innovative performance again represents a hybrid form of art that could only have emerged in Taiwan. Lin Zong-fan, leader of the Feng-Chung-Teng Spirit Guiding Group, has also brought modern aesthetics to bear on soul-­guiding chants from Taiwan’s ritualistic traditions.


Paris 2024 is the first Olympics in history to achieve numerical gender parity among athletes. Taiwan’s contributions to the Cultural Olympiad there are also marked by a strong female presence. The all-female troupe Eye Catching Circus offers Crazy Girls, putting feminine power and beauty under the spotlight. For her part, the Paiwan singer Abao uses electronic music and R&B to give indigenous ballads a fashionable modern vibe.


“What we want to convey to the audience is that Taiwan is by nature a place of [cultural] hybridity. In response to difference, it’s crucial to cultivate mutual understanding and toleration,” Wang says. Taiwan wants to tell the world that it is “forever evolving—always welcoming new looks and embracing new challenges. The remarkable freedom and energy that underpin its social infrastructure ensure mutual understanding and equality.”

 

DJ Elvis Lin combines groovy music from France and Taiwan in Something about Us ↔ Strawberry, forging new international connections.
DJ Elvis Lin combines groovy music from France and Taiwan in Something about Us ↔ Strawberry, forging new international connections.

 

In collaboration with French dancers, Les Petites Choses Production presents Little Island, Big Feast, using a traditional Taiwanese round dining table to share Taiwan’s story with friends from across the world.
In collaboration with French dancers, Les Petites Choses Production presents Little Island, Big Feast, using a traditional Taiwanese round dining table to share Taiwan’s story with friends from across the world.


Taiwan at La Villette

What is the most suitable type of stage for performing Taiwan’s culture of fusion? “At first we wanted to bring an ‘electric flower car’ there—that kind of vehicle-cum-stage you see at rural festivals which opens itself up like the Transformers in the films.” But many problems arose, such as importation and customs clearance. Undaunted, the stage design team came up with the idea of assembling their own version of the electric flower car. The result is a stage that dazzles the audience with colorful lights.

Crimson, which plays a dominant role in Taiwanese culture, is the key color of the venue. The overall design is reminiscent of temple squares in Taiwan, complete with red folding tables and red plastic stools, the likes of which are often seen at streetside banquets across our islands. There are also rows of red lanterns hanging above, while fences are decorated with flamboyant plastic fringes, evoking Taiwanese car washes. Here visitors can immediately feel Taiwan’s extraordinary vitality and hospitality.


Despite being ephemeral, each of the performances at the Cultural Olympiad was a long time in the making. Ranging across music, theater, acrobatics, and other genres, the performances each require different lighting techniques, stage designs, audio equipment, and acoustic environments.


To accommodate all sorts of unusual requirements from the performers, the organizers needed to have outstanding administrative and production skills. They have met these formidable challenges with admirable resilience, bringing a marvelously eclectic program to the attention of the world.
“The fact that we can put these things together is itself, I believe, very Taiwanese—it’s both diverse and organic, both creative and relaxed, but it also involves a lot of expertise,” says Lin Kun Ying with confidence.

 

Music, art, and religion have no borders. The Feng-Chung-Teng Spirit Guiding Group has brought modern aesthetic sensibilities to bear on Taiwan’s funerary soul-guiding chants. The performance is just as powerful as the traditional rituals that inspired it.
Music, art, and religion have no borders. The Feng-Chung-Teng Spirit Guiding Group has brought modern aesthetic sensibilities to bear on Taiwan’s funerary soul-guiding chants. The performance is just as powerful as the traditional rituals that inspired it.

 

Taiwanese puppet shows are among the performances being presented in Paris. Taipei Puppet Theater deliberately incorporates a greater variety of movements to help foreign audiences understand the plot.
Taiwanese puppet shows are among the performances being presented in Paris. Taipei Puppet Theater deliberately incorporates a greater variety of movements to help foreign audiences understand the plot.


Win together

The English slogan for Paris 2024 is “Made for Sharing.” To be true to this spirit of fraternity, the branding of Taiwan’s offering at the Cultural Olympiad exploits the typographical potential of the word “Taiwan.” Lin reminds us that the letter W is made up of two Vs. The V-sign can symbolize “victory” or “peace.” Joined together, the two Vs convey a sense of connection, and the resulting W can stand for “win.”


Sue Wang explains for us Taiwan’s catchphrase for the Cultural Olympiad, “Win Together”: “The emphasis is on sharing, on togetherness. The victory that Taiwan is aiming for is not so much ‘victory’ in the conventional sense. We don’t define ‘victory’ as defeating our opponents. Rather, we want victory for all. We hope that everyone will gain something from the games, that we’ll all be winners in the end.”


Taiwan’s societal wellbeing rests on mutual understanding and toleration. We owe our free and democratic society to our unflagging commitment to diversity. Founded upon our own pursuit of freedom and democracy, “Win Together” is Taiwan’s message to the world.

 

While Taiwan is globally known for its microchips, its program for the Cultural Olympiad invites the world to reimagine our islands through art and culture.
While Taiwan is globally known for its microchips, its program for the Cultural Olympiad invites the world to reimagine our islands through art and culture.

 

Drag queen Nymphia Wind and the Haus of Wind girls capture Taiwan’s island scenery and culture in Formosa Follies, shouting “We’re from Taiwan!” to the world.
Drag queen Nymphia Wind and the Haus of Wind girls capture Taiwan’s island scenery and culture in Formosa Follies, shouting “We’re from Taiwan!” to the world.


Article and photos courtesy of Taiwan Panorama September 2024