After more than two decades since its opening, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts now boasts a rich collection of over 14,000 pieces of artwork. Centring around the historical development of Taiwanese art, the exhibition aims to illuminate the proactive evolution and spirit behind many iconic oeuvres. With regards to the exhibition format, we intend to break away from the accustomed curatorial approach; the artworks are presented in their own right, emphasising their distinct responses under different historical and geographical influences.

Art movements are often symbolic of the outlook and spectacles of a society. An artwork is not only stylistic imagery, but also a phenomenological representation of the zeitgeist. In recent years, many art exhibitions are curated on the basis of themes, which imply prescriptive interpretations. In this exhibition, the artworks are curated with a minimum of preconception, in the hope that they may speak for themselves, to elucidate their own ideas and stances.

Founded on this belief, in March 2011 the Museum opened “Unique Vision: Highlights from the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts Collection,” a fête of 31 artworks of excellence warmly received by the general public. Again in 2012 we present “Unique Vision II,” a further selection of 51 masterworks in diverse genres. In addition to showcasing the classics from the recent past, “Unique Vision II” intends to set a new benchmark, introducing the varied paths and approaches undertaken in the progressive history of Taiwanese art. It is our wish that the audience, while admiring artists’ individual efforts, may gain some insight into the beauty and significance of Taiwan’s culture.