Taipei Cultural Center in New York

The 2022 edition of the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) will begin on November 9 at the Indianapolis Convention Center. On November 11, Ju Percussion Group, an internationally acclaimed music group and Taiwan’s first percussion ensemble, will be performing during the PASIC evening concert series. Its performance will feature five compositions, including “BeyonD the bEnd,” “Seek,” “Solar Myth,” “Attraction 2,” and “Tsá-Tshi,” showcasing the group’s unique approach to “blending tradition and modern, balancing East and West.”

Since 1976, world-class musicians have been performing during the annual PASIC. In addition, the PASIC showcases the latest performances from the percussion industry at its International Drum and Percussion Expo. Over the years, the PASIC has continued to be one of the most popular occasions for the percussion family to come together in order to converse, perform, inspire, and learn from one another.

Founded by the renowned percussionist Ju Tzong-Ching (朱宗慶) in 1986, the Ju Percussion Group has become well-known around the world for its innovative mix of cultures and styles. The members play Western percussion instruments as well as different forms of traditional Asian music.

Through more than 3,000 domestic and international performances, Ju Percussion Group has greatly expanded Taiwan’s musical presence on the international stage. To date, the group has played in 34 different countries around the world and taught more than 130,000 percussion learners through its instruction system. Moreover, the group has been commissioned to create 242 pieces so far.

To know more about the Ju Percussion Group: https://pasic.org/project/ju-percussion-group/.
Composed by Gene Koshinski

BeyonD the bEnd is score for percussion soloists within a percussion ensemble (five players total). In the opening, the ensemble sings in unison with lines that simultaneously present both the thematic concept and the poetic reference that the piece hinges on. Musically, the piece is tied to a three-note motive of Bb, Db, and Eb (the letters highlighted in the title) that can be heard throughout, initially appearing in the opening lines and used by the ensemble for the duration of the piece.

Composed by Huanwei Lu

This is a six-mallet marimba composition with a three-percussion accompaniment. The composition is divided into five sections: “Chase,” “Exploration,” “Indecision,” “Loneliness,” and “Commitment,” in an attempt to present the process and emotions along the road to perfection.

Composed by Chiung-Ying Chang

This piece was inspired by a legend shared by several indigenous tribes of Taiwan. It is said that in ancient times there were many suns in the sky and the people were suffering. The tribesmen were so desperate that they decided to shoot down the extra suns.

The work is for six mallets and three percussionists, which allows it to express the multi-tonal quality of competitive playing. A great sense of theatrical tension is felt throughout the piece.

Composed by Emmanuel Séjourné

Just as man cannot escape earthly attraction, the composer, too, does not escape his old demons, culture, and taste. In this case, it is the composer’s penchant for rhythm, groove, and a certain collective virtuosity in the image of “Shakti,” the mythical group that marked his youth. The performance is composed of a violin, a guitar, and two percussions.

Composed by Han-Yen Kao

The inspiration for this piece is that of a bustling outdoor market (Tsá-Tshi), one full of life and community. The entire piece is therefore presented in a whimsical manner, including a nimble and agile performance style, similar to that of a dotted collage.

Taipei Cultural Center is pleased to collaborate with Film Forum, New York's leading movie house for independent premieres and repertory programming, to present a two-week festival of classic films by Edward Yang (楊德昌), Hou Hsiao-Hsien (侯孝賢), Chang Yi (張毅), and Chen Kun-Ho (陳坤厚) from November 11-24.

One of the wonders of the late 20th century global cinematic landscape was the wave of remarkably talented directors who emerged in Taiwan during the 1980s. Yet, despite the international acclaim given to the leading directors of the so-called “New Taiwan Cinema,” their larger body of work has rarely been screened outside their own country.

The “New Waves: Rediscovering Taiwanese Cinema of the 1980s” program aims to highlight the little-known richness and diversity of this period of cinema. The repertory series was curated by Haden Guest, film historian and director of the Harvard Film Archive, along with Film Forum repertory artistic director Bruce Goldstein.

The series includes several films that were popular hits in Taiwan but have not been widely viewed elsewhere, such as “In Our Time” (光陰的故事) and “The Sandwich Man” (兒子的大玩偶). The series will also feature films by founding figures of New Taiwan Cinema such as “Taipei Story” (青梅竹馬) and “A Brighter Summer Day” (牯嶺街少年殺人事件) by Edward Yang, “Dust in The Wind” (戀戀風塵) by Hou Hsiao-Hsien, and “Growing Up” (小畢的故事) and “My Favorite Season” (最想念的季節) by Chen Kun-Ho.
The series also includes “Rebels of the Neon God” (青少年哪吒) by Tsai Ming-Liang, which showcases many of the themes and approaches of 1980s Taiwanese cinema, while also taking them in a strikingly different direction.

According to series programmer Haden Guest, “In the 1980s, Taiwan was the epicenter of a paradigm shift in narrative filmmaking that dramatically harnessed and expanded cinema’s power to creatively engage time and emotion. This series offers a rich cross section of films from this crucial moment, bringing together pioneering films by luminaries like Hou Hsiao-Hsien and Edward Yang with lesser-known, yet vital works that challenged approaches to genre and brought a new sharp-edged political address to Taiwanese cinema. The profound impact and lasting influence of these movies resonates to this day.”

Film Forum’s repertory selections include foreign and American classics, festivals, and directors’ retrospectives. For more information, please visit: https://filmforum.org/series/new-waves-rediscovering-taiwanese-cinema-of-the-1980s

FILM SCHEDULE

TAIPEI STORY 青梅竹馬
Friday, November 11｜12:30｜2:50｜8:30
Sunday, November 13｜9:00
Monday, November 14｜1:00
Tuesday, November 15｜1:00
Thursday, November 17｜1:00｜3:40
Monday, November 21｜3:00｜9:00

THAT DAY, ON THE BEACH 海灘的一天
Saturday, November 19｜12:30

IN OUR TIME 光陰的故事
Friday, November 11｜6:10
Saturday, November 12｜2:50

THE SANDWICH MAN 兒子的大玩偶
Saturday, November 12｜12:30
Monday, November 14｜8:00

IF I WERE FOR REAL 假如我是真的
Saturday, November 12｜5:10

REBELS OF THE NEON GOD 青少年哪吒
Saturday November 12｜7:20
Tuesday, November 15｜8:50

GROWING UP 小畢的故事
Sunday, November 13｜1:10
Tuesday, November 15｜6:30

MY FAVORITE SEASON 最想念的季節
Sunday, November 13｜3:20

PUSHING HANDS 推手
Tuesday, November 15｜4:00
Friday, November 18｜1:00｜3:20｜6:00
Tuesday, November 22｜1:00｜3:40

A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY 牯嶺街少年殺人事件
Wednesday, November 16｜12:30
Sunday, November 20｜1:10
Wednesday, November 23｜2:00｜6:30
Thursday, November 24｜12:30

DUST IN THE WIND 戀戀風塵
Wednesday November 16｜5:10
Sunday, November 20｜4:40
Tuesday, November 22｜8:30

KUEI-MEI, A WOMAN 我這樣過了一生
Wednesday, November 16｜7:30
Friday November 18｜8:15

THE TERRORIZERS 恐怖份子
Tuesday, November 22｜6:10
Thursday, November 24｜7:20

The 26th Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival will take place from November 9–20 in Toronto, and the films will also be available online for global cinema fans to enjoy. During the festival, Taiwanese American director Arvin Chen’s (陳駿霖) “Mama Boy” (初戀慢半拍) will make its Canadian premiere on November 12.

The romantic comedy stars Kai Ko (柯震東), Vivian Hsu (徐若瑄), and Yu Tzu Yu (于子育). The film follows the growth of a shy man named Xiao Hong (小洪) as he meets Le Le (樂樂), an older woman who is the manager of a sex worker business. Xiao Hong has always lived under the influence of his mother Mei Ling (美玲) and has never acted out of his own free will. Thus, the spark in Xiao Hong’s heart for Le Le marks the beginning of Xiao Hong’s growth into adulthood.

With Mama Boy, director Arvin Chen returns to the silver screen almost 10 years after “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” The film is “a welcomed return for Arvin Chen that will bewilder you with its magical colour palettes and characters that grow in you as well as on the screen,” according to the film’s synopsis by June Kim in the festival program guide.

The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival is an annual event that celebrates Asian cinema from around the world. The 26th edition of the festival will showcase 18 feature films and 47 short films from the U.S., Canada, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, and India. For more information, please visit: https://www.reelasian.com/festival/

Mama Boy
2022｜98 minutes｜Mandarin with English subtitles
Canadian Premiere
Saturday, November 12, 9 PM
TIFF Bell Lightbox (350 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
📽Trailer: https://youtu.be/qpzLl30ra0A

TECO’s New York office is one of the Taiwanese government’s most important overseas offices. The 16-story building was purchased in 2005 and now is seen as a gateway to Taiwan.

Commissioned by Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Culture, Island Life, Michael Lin’s large-scale, site-specific artwork, is inspired by patterns from traditional Taiwanese textiles. The first artwork to ever be commissioned for one of Taiwan’s overseas representative offices, Island Life fills the entrance lobby with an exuberant palette of colors synonymous with the warmth and vibrancy of Taiwan. Visitors will find themselves immersed in Lin’s expansive painting due to its complementary relationship with the lobby’s architectural space.

As with many of Lin’s large-scale painting installations, Island Life was painted by local artists. However, artists from the United States, France, Egypt, and South Korea also contributed to the mural’s design. In addition, the painting process was open to visitors, who were able to watch the patterns become more intricate and colorful throughout the month of September. Island Life was completed at the end of the month, and an opening reception was held on October 18, 2022.

Island Life was co-founded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Culture of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Island Life
Artist: Michael Lin
Size: 56’x27’
Media: Latex Paint on Skim Coat of Masonite
Date: October 18, 2022 to October 31, 2032
Location: Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York
1 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017