Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture (MOC) has long implemented the Operation Directions for Selecting Cultural Talents for the International Artist-in-Residence Exchange Program. Acting as a resource provider and intermediary, the Council for Cultural Affairs (superseded by the MOC in 2012) began selecting and sponsoring Taiwanese artists annually for international residency exchanges from 2000 onwards. For the 2025 program, a total of 16 curator and artists traveled abroad for research and creation across a wide array of institutions: the International Studio & Curatorial Program, the 18th Street Arts Center, the American Dance Festival’s International Choreographers Residency in the U.S., Hangar in Spain, the Cité internationale des arts in France, the European Ceramic Work Center in the Netherlands, Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Germany, Lostgens’ Contemporary Art Space in Malaysia, the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park in Japan.
The exhibition Along the Path of Light treats “light” as its curatorial theme and guiding motif, responding to a common thread that repeatedly surfaced during discussions with this year’s participating artists. Over the course of their two- to six-month residencies, these artists utilized daily observations, fieldwork, and material gathering to gradually expand their conventional creative contexts. The unfamiliarity induced by displacement, the people and scenes they encountered, and the objects they collaged or reconstructed, all coalesced to form the core logic behind their works.
In this exhibition, “light” transcends its role as a mere physical condition of the natural environment—one that encompasses shifting daylight across different latitudes and longitudes, alongside visual differences shaped by geography and climate. Rather, it guides viewers to follow the artists’ gaze, inviting them to delve into the reflections and emotions experienced during their residencies, as well as the sensory translations embedded in their creative practices. Meanwhile, we transform moving light into both a physical guide and a metaphor for relocation within the exhibition space, crafting a viewing experience that mirrors the residency journey. Guided by this light, viewers are encouraged to wander through the fluid shifts of time.
The exhibition Along the Path of Light features the creators selected for the 26th MOC International Artist-in-Residence Exchange Program: HSIEH Yu-Cheng, HSU Szu-Ying, LIN Chia-Ying, PENG Si-Qi, CHENG Jen-Pei, CHEN Ting-Jung, PENG Yi-Hang, Hsiangfu CHEN, I-Hsuen Chen, CHAO Shu-Jung, TSAI Ching-Cheng, CHOU Man-Nung, CHEN Hsian-Jung, TSAI Pou-Ching, Cetus KUO Chin-Yun, and SHIH Ya-Tien. Weaving their experiences into a temporal voyage guided by light, this exhibition invites viewers to follow its shifting trajectory and immerse themselves in the exploration and growth these artists underwent during their time abroad. Here, viewers can listen to how these artists traversed latitudes and longitudes touched by daylight, allowing their works to take root, develop, and thrive wherever their gaze landed, ultimately evolving into the forms presented today.
Artists｜HSIEH Yu-Cheng, HSU Szu-Ying, LIN Chia-Ying, PENG Si-Qi, CHENG Jen-Pei, CHEN Ting-Jung, PENG Yi-Hang, Hsiangfu CHEN, I-Hsuen Chen, CHAO Shu-Jung, TSAI Ching-Cheng, CHOU Man-Nung, CHEN Hsian-Jung, TSAI Pou-Ching, Cetus KUO Chin-Yun (According to the exhibition order)
Curators｜SHIH Ya-Tien, HUANG Yi-Hsuan
Production Executive | Ariel SUNG, Casper CHEN
Equipment and Technical Cooperation | ZHENG Wen-Hao
Organizer | Ministry of Culture
Curated and Produced by | Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab
Equipment Support | Taiwan Sound Lab
