You may be wondering why the title is "add oil" along with a photo of pumping gas. In Chinese, when you are cheering someone to win the race, you'll shout "jia-you, jia-you" which literally means 'add oil.'
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The Taipei Fine Arts Museum which hosts the Taipei Biennial finally did something that I've been bitching about in print for years. See http://www.culture.tw/ and the Opinion section for my previous comments.
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They finally unstuck their head out of the sand! Recently, the TFAM invited the organizers of the Shanghai Biennial and Guangzhou Triennial to work on a cooperation between all the big biennials taking place in Asia in September 2008. So after all these years, I say "Jia you." Way to go!
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This is also a form of soft politics in which a museum in Taiwan is closely collaborating with two museums in China. This really warms my heart, confirming my belief that art can be a way to peace.
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Additionally Taiwan's Council for Cultural Affairs sponsored website http://www.culture.tw/ has recently been denied future funding as the pro-mainland KMT-dominated legislature, which decides on Taiwan's budget, deems that the promotion of "Taiwanese" culture is against their best interests. Although, the KMT is not exactly promoting/funding Chinese art here either.
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And remember, Taiwan's history as a Japanese colony that was never a communist state created a vastly different cultural climate from the mainland. Politics aside, personally I think this culture which is nostalgic and wistful in nature is quite fascinating and should be funded and promoted.
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