Impact │ Qian Long Chao is the spectacular integration of the work and efforts of more than 20 artists and designers, using interactive technologies to unite modern fashion with classic cultural artifacts. More than 100 renowned artists, celebrities, and amateur performers were invited to participate in the ensuing charitable events, a vivid demonstration of the power of Taiwan's creative culture system.
Key │ With technological applications as its core value, cultural creative performance arts are given a brand new outlook, successfully integrating technology into museums, creative culture realms, as well as festivals and celebrations. The various technologies developed by the Institute are showcased in performances and exhibitions through conducting large-scale events in performance arts.
Evidence │ Qian Long Chao accumulated a total of more than 1.7 million visitors, and was awarded with both the New Media Art Platinum Award at the Houston International Film Festival, as well as the MUSE Award given by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). In addition, according to the annual statistical report of UK's "The Art", Qian Long Chao is the one exhibition to have accumulated the greatest number of visitors out of the 20 top exhibitions around the world during 2014. Exhibition relocated to Paris, France, and the Tainan Ten-Drum Park in Taiwan further exemplifies this perfect union between technology and contemporary aesthetics. As you walk through the time tunnel, you have entered the fantastic world of the Qian Long era. While standing in the beautiful landscape with mountains and rivers, you create an ink wash painting, and your work receives the rare honor of Qian Long Emperor's personal signature and critique. As you walk by the Tree of Color, a beam of light that analyzes the human form and colors projects your personal colors onto the flower vase on the screen. As you marvel at the complexity of the "Spring Festival" painting, you suddenly discovered that you have become one of the extras inside the "Spring Morning at Han Palace!"
This is not a dream, it's the "Qian Long Chao - New Media Art Exhibition" featured at the National Palace Museum in collaboration with the Institute of Information Industry, an interactive technological showcase that takes the viewer on a fantastic journey into classical Chinese culture.
The Fusion of Ancient and Modern - The Creation of New Cultural & Creative Forms
To uphold the spirit of "mutual growth between technology and culture through innovative development," the Institute of Information Industry (III) has established the Creative Industry Center in 2012, and the Cultural and Creative Technological Promotion Office in 2013, to better integrate resources from different agencies and to utilize technological applications in museums, cultural and creative realms, performance arts, as well as celebrations and festivals. The Creative Industry Center utilizes technological innovations to inspire the cultural and creative industry of Taiwan, enabling those working within the industry to engage in conversations with the general public on multiple levels. By conducting large-scale performances and exhibitions, the Institute's various technologies are showcased in artistic exhibits and cultural performances.
The combined efforts of III and National Palace Museum in the creation of "Qian Long Chao - New Media Art Exhibition" was launched in the main exhibition hall of the museum in 2013, and has attracted 1.7 million visitors, becoming the exhibition with the greatest number of visitors in the museum's history, according to UK's The Art Newspaper. The exhibit is also the recipient of the Houston International Film Platinum Award for New Media Art, and the MUSE award silver medal for interpretative interactive installations awarded by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM); it is the perfect example of a successful union of cultural artifacts, technology, and modern aesthetics. To continue promoting this rich and interesting exhibition, the entire installation will be showcased at the international renowned Hotel-de-Ville in Marais, Paris, located in city's 4th district city government. Local Parisians, including artists, curators, and gallery owners are expected to visit the magnificent spectacle.
In addition to international promotions, it is the profound hope of exhibition curators that residents of southern Taiwan will also have the opportunity to enjoy the exhibit, which is why from February 14 to May 10, 2015, the exhibit was showcased at Tainan's Ten-Drum Cultural Creative Park, the proud recipient of the Architectural Yuan-Yie Award in 2014. The appearance of this "trend" by combining cultural artifacts with new media in southern Taiwan coincides with the grand opening of the Chimei Museum at the beginning of 2015. The proximity of these two events created a mutually beneficial effect that sparked the ongoing trend of exhibition attendance, and a preference for arts and culture in the southern region. "Qian Long Chao", an exhibition that gives new and innovative meaning to street art, anime, action figures, electronic music, avant-garde fashion, and the conflicting aesthetics produced by industrial remnants make this work of art between the present and the past one of the most amazing time travel experiences for exhibition viewers.
In addition to multimedia exhibition tours, to promote the industrialization of digital archives, the Digital Archive Strategic Alliance, headed by Mr. Stan Shih, commissioned by the Ministry of Science and Technology, also operates a Center of Authorization for Digital Collections (CADC), which was established in the form of a social enterprise. By authorizing the use of images, value-added applications, and marketing materials within the commercial market, this strategy of connecting the value chain enables the four-fold principle of interaction, customization, commercialization, and marketization in the Center's bid to promote and development digital archive market potential. From January 23 to March 22, 2015, the National Museum of History held the "Creative Mind - When Culture & Creativity Meets Pu Xinyu" exhibition in collaboration with CADC. This exhibit features Pu Xinyu's paintings and calligraphy works by displaying them on customized cultural and creative platforms such as cloud-based Memobooks and Fandora. Renowned designers and illustrators were invited to reinterpret Pu Xinyu's artworks using modern techniques and comic characterizations. The two entirely different artistic styles were featured on mediums such as clothing items, daily accessories, and electronic publications. The artworks of Pu Xinyu was invigorated with new life through good design and the power of the Internet. Cultural and creative products were sold through e-commerce as well as traditional retail, a demonstration of the marketing power of O2O. The objective was to showcase digital archives' scope of application to the general public, a concept that seeks to promote an integrated service model for museums that combine digital archiving with the industry chain.
Interactive Technology Merging with Multimedia Exhibitions
In addition, in November of 2014, III worked in collaboration with the General Association of Chinese Culture and agencies within the Taipei City Government for the "Taipei South Town Art Festival - The Contemporary Art of Chinese Characters" exhibition. The exhibition encompassed joint presentations at 8 venues located in southern Taipei, including the Nanmen Park Area of National Taiwan Museum, National Taiwan Arts Education Center, Nanhai Gallery, National 228 Museum, Chunghwa Postal Museum, Yuyu Yang Museum, and Guling Street Avant-garde Theatre. 48 nationally renowned calligraphers and 50 collaborating street vendors jointly showcased the history and culture of Taipei South Town using technological applications such as Augmented Reality (AR), tourism apps, cloud applications, and simulated sensory interactions.
An event worthy of mention is the "Insight into the Music of Changes" musical performance during the "Taipei South Town Art Festival - The Contemporary Art of Chinese Characters" exhibition featuring the National Chinese Orchestra. The performance utilized all-new sensory techniques in its multimedia representations, transforming shapes of projected images as the conductor directed the band in accordance with the music. On November 9, 2014, the National Chinese Orchestra performed "Book of Changes" at the National Concert Hall. The program was designed to feature images of waves that fluctuated with the movement of the conductor's hands, resembling the twinkle of starlight in the sky as well as the brightening and dimming of hexagrams and oracles in the sky along with the beating of the bass drum. This concept of adding value to the performance arts using advanced technologies, not only provides the general public with whole new experiences in traditional Chinese orchestra and the art of Chinese calligraphy; exhibitions and performances featuring modern ideas of information also create new value in the culture of Chinese calligraphy.
Whether it is the convergence of animation technology, or multimedia exhibition methods featuring interactive technologies, in order to make technology more accessible and more perceivable to the general audience, III will continue its efforts to enrich technology with cultural and creativity, and create cultural value by using technological innovations.
Future Vision
With advanced interactive technologies and multimedia animation formats, technological applications are used in museums, creative culture realms, performance arts, and celebrations and festivals. Enrich technology with cultural creativity, and use technology to create value for culture and the arts.