Introduction to the Taipei Cinema Park:
Taipei Cinema Park is located at the intersection of Wuchang Street and Kangding
Road, Taipei City, where Taiwan Gas Co., Ltd. (founded in 1934 during the Japanese
colonial period) and later Taipei Gas Co., Ltd. used to be. After having been left
unused for 34 years, the location has now become the largest park in Ximending,
after the simple park greening engineering was completed in 2001. The objective
of the cinema park was to create a large leisure space filled with art and culture
that not only preserved the old factory building, chimney and coking furnace of
the gas company, but also integrated multifaceted entertaining culture, such as
movies, coffee places and youth recreation in the surrounding area.
In June 2009, The Red House, managed by Taipei Culture Foundation, took over Taipei
Cinema Park. It held “Meeting Love in Ximending – Love, Culture and Art in Taipei”
during the Taipei Film Festival, followed by “Street Voice,” “Outdoor Movie Theater,”
and “Public Arts Exhibition.” The venue provides a creative, and performance stage
for youth culture like graffiti art and original music.
Taipei Cinema Park has successfully combined cultural and art events with youth
culture. Whether it is dancing or photo shooting, it has become a popular landmark
for the general public and youth to conduct leisure activities. With the effort
of Taipei Culture Foundation, it is hoped that the exuberant vitality of the commercial
area in Ximending can extend to further enhance Taipei Cinema Park, creating a prosperous
Ximending as a whole.
Milestones
June 2009:
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The Red House of Taipei Culture Foundation took over Taipei Cinema Park.
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July 2009:
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Held “Meeting Love in Ximending – Love, Culture and Art in Taipei” during the Taipei
Film Festival.
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July 2009:
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Outdoor movie screening at “Moonlight Movie Theater” was launched.
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August 2009:
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Co-organized “Street Voice” with Huashan Creative Park, providing a stage for original
music.
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January 2010:
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“Urban Show Case,” a new exhibition space for installation art, was inaugurated.
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January 2010:
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Exhibited “Transformer – Urban Show Case.”
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March 2010:
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Executed interactive installation and multimedia exhibition: “Aura of the Floating
Ink” co-organized by National Taipei University of Technology, National Taiwan Normal
University and National Taiwan University of Arts.
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April 2010:
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Co-organized “The 32nd Golden Harvest Award – Taipei Outdoor Extra Screenings” with
Chinese Taipei Film Archive, enabling nominated Taiwan-made films to be watched
by more people, while encouraging the potential for new creations.
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Introduction to the Art Plaza:
Covering a total area of over 1,980 square meters, the Art Plaza is the main part
of the park. The plaza has a stage and an auditorium, providing a decent performance
space for artists. Urban Show Case, which opened on January 30th, 2010, is also
part of the plaza and provides a venue for multimedia presentations. The plaza,
surrounded by lawn, trees and benches, is an oasis in downtown Taipei. You can often
see countless citizens come here to relax, while young students practice dancing.
Its graffiti and artistic atmosphere make it one of the most popular photo shooting
spots in Taipei City. Suitable activities include: shooting commercials, outdoor
performance and other outdoor activities.
Introduction to the Multifunctional Hall
Located at the main entrance of Taipei Cinema Park and next to the bustling movie
street (Wuchang Street) in Ximending, the retro-styled red-bricked building combines
classic and modern features, creating a glamorous yet simple architectural atmosphere.
The interior, covering an area of 11.5 x 6.5 meters, offers a sheltered space both
for dynamic activities and exhibitions. The Multifunctional Hall can sustain electrical
power up to 1,500 watts and serves multiple purposes, such as: workshops, classes,
lectures, exhibitions, indoor screening, theater rehearsals and a rest area for
performers.
Introduction to the Graffiti Wall:
Lane 96 (nicknamed “American Street”) on Kunming Street, Ximending, is an area featuring
trendy youth apparel and prevailing youth culture in Taipei City. You can find the
walls, roller shutters and electric boxes here covered with original Taiwanese graffiti
art. Taipei Cinema Park, a new landmark for art and cultural development of Taipei
City, is located on “American Street.” The park has taken on the responsibility
for combining art and cultural development with youth culture in the area. In order
to provide a legal and safe platform for young graffiti artists and to beautify
the commercial area of Ximending, the park has partnered with Taipei Association
for Diverse Art and Youth Development to organize the graffiti works around “American
Street” and integrate the film industry in the surrounding area. In June 2009, an
area (a wall) was designated in the park for graffiti artists to create a “Modern
Love Graffiti Wall,” which won a silver award for outstanding open public space
at “The 2009 Taipei Urban Design Competition.” In the future, the Wall will continue
to be open to the public, and artists will also be regularly invited to create theme-based
graffiti.
Introduction to the Backstreet Plaza:
The youth street culture in Ximending has a long history. The vitality and characteristics
of the sub-culture continues to stand out, forming a unique feature of Ximending
in the urban spatial development of Taipei City.
At Taipei Cinema Park, an outdoor space adjacent to “American Street” and Mingtaizi
Street is designated as the “Backstreet Plaza.” With the concept of a youth culture
development center, the plaza management cooperates with Taipei Association for
Diverse Art and Youth Development to provide graffiti, DJ music, skateboarding,
and hip-hop dance workshops for the public and young students, and actively bring
youth activities to Taipei Cinema Park.
Introduction to the Urban Show Case:
Urban Show Case was designed by award-winning architect and artist Chung-Yei Shen,
who, based on the concept of “transformation,” attempted to integrate tradition
with modernity and create a culture belonging to the new generation, by installing
a “switch” in the once-prosperous Wanhua District, Taipei City. He even adopted
the design of a transformer to infuse the then sluggish park with new energy, which
extended to the whole area later. Like a colorful Rubik’s Cube, “city,” “movie,”
and “art” create different looks after rotation and combination in different circumstances.
The public art installation at Taipei Cinema Park presents stories told by citizens
using art and culture. Because its look changes with circumstances, it is thus called
the “Urban Show Case.”
The Urban Show Case is a large two-story multimedia public art installation, with
an interior floor area of 33 square meters and 6 suspended metal displays that can
be combined flexibly according to the exhibition or disassembled to increase the
indoor space. Also, large multimedia players are installed on the exterior of the
four walls to convey information outward through the screens. It is hoped that the
new installation will provide a more diverse performance stage, inspiring local
residents and professional artists alike to create art and culture. Suitable events:
exhibition with multimedia, small exhibition, video or multimedia presentations.
Facility Rental:
Art Plaza:
- Covering a total area of over 1,980 square meters, the plaza is suitable for shooting
commercials, outdoor performance and other activities open to the public.
- Basic facilities are provided: 20 wooden benches, 4 sets of outdoor umbrellas, tables
and chairs, projection screen (536cm x 370cm), stage background board (510cm x 180cm),
and stage (725cm x 370cm x 55cm).
- Rent is charged by session and paid in full (see the Facility Rental Charge Standard).
- All garbage must be removed from the site, or cleaning fees will be charged. An
additional NT$3,000 will be charged for extra electricity (see the Facility Rental
Charge Standard).
- Reservation for a tour from 10a.m. to 7p.m., Monday to Sunday, is welcome. Tours
are not available during a booked session.
Multifunctional Hall:
- The indoor space covers an area of 78 square meters (12mx6.5m). Suitable events
include: workshops, classes and lectures, exhibitions, indoor screenings, theater
rehearsals and a rest area for performers.
- Accommodates an audience of 30-50 people. The desks and chairs can be detached and
arranged according to the nature of the activity. Moveable background boards, lights
and stereo systems can be set up by renters to enhance the effects.
- Rent is charged by session and paid in full (see the Facility Rental Charge Standard).
- All garbage must be removed from the site, or cleaning fees will be charged (see
the Facility Rental Charge Standard).
- Reservation for a tour from 10a.m. to 7p.m., Monday to Sunday, is welcome. Tours
are not available during a booked session.
Urban Show Case:
- The indoor space covers an area of about 33 square meters, with projectors on the
four walls. Suitable for small exhibitions, playing videos or multimedia exhibitions.
- Basic equipment is provided: (1) 6 sets of removable displays (44cm×26cm, 84cm×40cm,
and 104cm×40cm, 2 sets each); (2) 4 sets of rear projector and screens (16:9, 180
inches x 1 set; 4:3, 110 inches x 2 sets; 4:3, 100 inches x 1 set) and multimedia
players (only supports avi, wmv and mpeg formats); (3) 1 LCD screen (42 inches).
- The indoor space can accommodate 10-20 people; the outdoor space (sheltered) can
accommodate 100-200 people.
- Rent is charged by project. For more information, please call (02) 2312-3717.
- Reservation for a tour from 10a.m. to 7p.m., Monday to Sunday, is welcome. Tours
are not available during a booked session.