Forum Biennial Statement
由藝術工作者所組成的台北當代藝術中心，其成立目的是要提供一個公共的論述平台，讓不同的多元聲音能夠發聲，討論藝術創作的美學問題、與藝術生產相關的議題、公共文化形成與運作的議題，包括文化政策、美術館、藝術團體、藝術與社區、公共空間、城市的關係，以及一般社會運動所關懷的問題。針對這些使命，台北當代藝術中心籌畫了第一次的「論壇雙年展」，希望藉由雙年展的模式，一方面能夠每兩年檢視在特定時空下的藝術創作，以展覽的形式呈現一些具有議題性的作品，另一方面也計畫每兩年舉辦一次大規模的論壇，探討在這特定時空下、具有緊急迫切性質的相關公共議題。
在展覽方面，共有25組參展藝術家及團隊參與。這個名單強調作品的議題性與生產條件的獨特性，多件作品涉及藝術體制與生產模式的批判、反省、行動（Bbrother、CTCAC、周育正、謝牧岐、秋天巴來訪、蔡佳葳），甚至文化政策的革新推動（湯皇珍）。關於建築、空間與土地的作品也是關注的焦點，這涵蓋空間、城市的研究與記錄（高俊宏、楊俊、郭芃君），實體建築的介入（施昀佑、KHx3L、豪華朗機工），以及空間改造運動（劉秋兒及其伙伴團體打狗驛古蹟指定聯盟），或以作品形式進行社會參與（張恩滿、陳敬寶）。社會運動的直接參與，甚至還包含了介入農業正義的作品（黃博志）。這些作品和同時間發生的三場大型論壇互相呼應，有些藝術家參與這些論壇的項目，或另外以不同形式舉辦討論與表演活動。
近年來表演性的作品變成一種趨勢，除了上述一些作品外，這次展覽也包含了藝術家的身體表演錄像（崔廣宇、蘇匯宇、劉玗、復興漢工作室）。探討科技與錄像語言的作品最近在台灣藝術的蔚為主流，這裡有兩位代表性藝術家參與展覽（林冠名、姚仲涵），而這潮流的對立面，則是相當冷門的漫畫創作（VIVA）與塗鴉（Candy Bird）。
展覽期間，我們將舉辦三場論壇，第一場「藝術能量與城市轉型」，討論城市的變遷中藝術所扮演的角色。第二場「新類型另類空間的運作機制」，將邀請國內外的另類空間，探討這些藝術機構如何面對當前的社會、政治、經濟狀況，以及如何提出新的運作策略與機制。第三場「當代文化中的美術館政策」，也邀請國內外美術館的專業工作者，討論在新自由主義的全球化環境下，美術館如何確保其公共性、專業性、與藝術性。
Founded by a group of artists, curators, scholars and cultural activists, the mission of the Taipei Contemporary Art Center (TCAC) has been to provide a platform for public discourse where diverse voices can be heard in discussions about aesthetics and art production, and the issues related to the formation of a public culture — including cultural policies, museums, artistic organizations; as well as issues such as the relationship between art and the community, public spaces, the city, or social movements.
In line with this mission, we organized this inaugural “Forum Biennial of Taiwanese Contemporary Art”. The purpose of the biennial is twofold. First, it aims to re-examine artistic production in the specificities of every two years in an exhibition format, by presenting works that provoke thinking or controversy. Secondly, it offers an opportunity to organize large-scale forums during the exhibition period to discuss – debate – pressing public issues.
The 2010 Forum Biennial exhibition includes 25 artists and art groups. The selection emphasizes works that are topical or whose production condition is distinct as well as unique. Several works incorporate critiques or actions regarding the art system in addition to cultural production (Bbrother, CTCAC, CHOU Yu-cheng, HSIEH Muchi, PalaFang in Autumn, TSAI Charwei), or even function as cultural policy advocacy (TANG Huang-chen). Another highlight is works related to architecture, space and land. These include the investigation and documentation on space and the city (KAO Jun-honn, Jun YANG, Ariel Peng-chun KUO), intervention into architectures (SHIH Yun-yu, KHx3L, Luxury Logico), and activist engagement in urban planning (Leoliu & Takaoeki Cultural Heritage Recognition Alliance), or community participation (CHANG En-maan, CHEN Chin-pao). There is a work that directly engages with the movement of agricultural justice (HUANG Po-chih). All of these works echo the three forums one way or another; some artists participate in these forums, others organize specific discussion or performance-based events on their own.
Performativity has gained prominence over the last few years. Besides some of the above-mentioned works, the exhibition also includes performance videos that involve the body of the artist (TSUI Kuang-yu, SU Hui-yu, LIU Yu, Fuxinghen Studio). Experiments in technology and video art have become a major trend in Taiwan. Two artists who represent this trend were invited (LIN Guan-ming, YAO Chung-han). Running opposite to this new trend, are artists involved with the rare production of art comics (VIVA) and graffiti (Candy Bird).
During the biennial, three forums will be held. The first, “The Dynamics of Art and Urban Transformation,” discusses the role of art in a changing city. The second, “The New-genre Alternative Spaces: Operation and Strategies,” will include representatives from local and international alternative spaces to discuss how these art organizations cope with issues of social, political and economic conditions and present new strategies of operation. The third, “Contemporary Culture and the Policies of the Art Museum”, will invite museum professionals from Taiwan and abroad to discuss how museums sustain their publicness, professionalism and artistic integrity in the face of global neo-liberalism.