TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Keelung has transformed into an open-air gallery as the Keelung Ciao arts festival (基隆潮藝術) launched Tuesday (Sept. 30), featuring 19 international artist teams across the port city's mountains and harbors. The month-long celebration, running through Sunday (Oct. 26), represents the festival's most ambitious expansion with upgraded venues designed to reimagine Taiwan's historic northern gateway as a living museum.
The exhibition spans iconic city landmarks, including Maritime Plaza (海洋廣場), the historic Hsin-erh Air Raid Shelter (信二防空洞), and the colorful Zhengbin Fishing Port (正濱漁港). Deputy Mayor Chiu Pei-lin (邱佩琳) celebrated the festival's decade-long evolution, describing the event as "a museum without walls" that transforms Keelung's cultural heritage into accessible public art.
The exhibition showcases cutting-edge installations that blur boundaries between art and science. Thai artist Wuttin Chansataboot collaborated with marine biologists at National Taiwan Ocean University (國立臺灣海洋大學) to extract microbial DNA from local seawater, transforming the genetic material into kinetic sculptures that function as experimental musical instruments. Meanwhile, Taiwanese artist Chen Pu installed a massive inflatable creature named "Mossmo" at the abandoned Argenna Shipyard (阿根納造船廠).
Performance art extends beyond traditional venues, with organizers transforming local seafood restaurants into experimental theater spaces. The festival's opening Thursday (Sept. 26) featured a surreal, non-binary performance that reimagined dining as an artistic experience. A scheduled lecture Saturday (Oct. 19) at the Fishermen's Association Cheng Pin Building (漁會正濱大樓) will explore connections between urban cultural development and marine conservation.