In the early summer of 2016, with the weather beginning to grow hot, large crowds gathered in the Railway Sculpture Park at Kaohsiung’s Pier-2 Art Center. Happy laughter and talk filled the air, visitors strolled with friends and family and children launched kites into the warm air, while tourists admired the sculpture exhibitions.
Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chu and Shih Che, director general of the Kaohsiung City Bureau of Cultural Affairs, were the driving force behind the planning and execution of the art center. Both were present at the park watching the crowds come and go, and welcoming everyone into the warm embrace of this city of art.
On the same day, a couple from central Taiwan who work in the creative sector were also at the Pier-2 Art Center. Looking up at a huge sculpture, they were inspired by the center’s rich energy—and contemplated how they might build their careers in this beautiful city.
Three decades ago, Kaohsiung’s Pier-2 Art Center was a nondescript warehouse on Pier 2 in the Port of Kaohsiung, a facility that had lain abandoned for many years. The special setting of the warehouse was illuminated for the first time by the National Day fireworks in 2000, and despite its distance from downtown Kaohsiung, the harborside setting and vast spaces screamed potential.
Around this time, the development of cultural and creative parks was in full swing throughout Taiwan. Sensing the trend, the Kaohsiung City Government decided to take back management of the Pier-2 warehouse complex, and the Bureau of Cultural Affairs became responsible for its planning and development, releasing greater space for public access. A pedestrian zone was created to link up with the West Side Harbor Line bike path, making the area more accessible for visitors. Extensive lighting was installed to ensure security at night, and quite surprisingly, an enticingly artistic atmosphere was generated by the street lamps glimmering among the old warehouses.
Sculptor Liang Jen-hung believes that the Pier-2 Art Center is an eminently suitable venue for artists to demonstrate their skills. The center not only features enormous spaces, but also has an experimental flavor. Liang exhibits works at Pier-2, most recently a metal sculpture inspired by the local environment and accompanied by a multimedia installation creating dynamic effects of light and sound.
The artistic and cultural activities held at the Pier-2 Arts Center, as well as the center’s park-style design, have been well received by the public. To meet the demands of increasing numbers of events and visitors, the venue has expanded from its original Dayong warehouse area. In 2012, the bureau negotiated a lease for the Penglai warehouse owned by the Taiwan Sugar Corporation, and the Dayi warehouse was developed the following year. The newly expanded center has attracted a range of cultural and creative enterprises, as well as other businesses such as restaurants.
Artworks at Pier-2 Art Center are integrated solidly into the environment, so people are able to enjoy them from different perspectives. (photo by Hsu Ching-ho)