Andy Warhol at the CKS
The latest ‘hot’ exhibition to visit in Taipei is th Andy Warhol retrospective at the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall (at least, I think they changed the name back from ‘Democracy Memorial Hall’, when the DPP were pissing around with changing names of historical monuments). I suppose I am not the biggest fan on earth of Warhol, but I am happy enough to go along and check it out – especially since it was with a few arty friends who know a little more about the subject of screen printing and pop art.
What made me double-intrigued was the fact that it was being held underneath the mausoleum of said National Icon – and it could not escape my finely-honed sense of irony that one of the key exhibits was a print of his arch-nemesis, Mao Zedong.
Like all too many exhibitions in Taiwan, there were too many exhibits (walls and walls full of Marilyn, it seemed) and too many people shuffling around. The exhibition design was lacking, and the space was, in a word, ‘poky’ – although I can hardly blame this on them – if you plan to have an exhibition under a tomb you ain’t going to argue about space. The shop did seem, however, to deliver on the ‘commercial art’ promise of Warhol, and was thus packed with people buying tat pasted with Warhol signatures.
Or maybe I was just hung over. Anyway – a fun day out. By starting at Chiang Kai Shek and ending up at Ximen, I really did feel like I was in a foreign country for the first time in a little while.
Seeing the dancers practicing in the windows reminded me of trips there when I first arrived. The photo I took that day of the kids throwing one of their friends in the air is still one of my favourite shots.
Friends jacking around
I probably take the same photo every time, but it still makes me chuckle.
Impressive doors, and brass nobs.
