Zhongxin Marketplace: Avant-garde art breathes new life into a traditional setting

Words by May Chen
Translated by Angel Pu

When it comes to breathing new life into old places, one of Taichung's best recent examples is Zhongxin Marketplace. Originally a traditional market opposite the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, it has recently been transformed into an all-new platform for a fresh generation of artists. At risk of disappearing without notice, the old market began its bold makeover with a fashion show organized there by Shigure clothing store owner Cai Zhi-xian and a group of artists.

What started with a single occupant--the Hei Bai Qie Art Space--was followed by a growing number of young, creative artists, who began opening businesses at the marketplace. Today, entering the alley next to Hei Bai Qie will take you into the creative world of Zhongxin Marketplace, where these owners are using these establishments to express their personal beliefs and personalities via places like CAME ZA Photo Studio, Zhongxin Antiques, Petit Deer Theater, A Room of One's Own bookstore, and Z Space gallery.

People can enjoy close-up
appreciation of showcased
artworks.

Hei Bai Qie features Taiwan's only showcase-style exhibition space, and its owner hopes that all of his visitors will think out of the box and reconsider the meaning of art. The gallery has a group of sponsors who are enthusiastic about varying styles of art, so the gallery regularly hosts a diversity of bold and novel exhibitions. The owner especially stresses that art students brave enough to present their works should feel free to contact Hei Bai Qie for the chance to show off what they are capable of. Also, a much-anticipated Shigure fashion show will open on Oct. 15, 2011 at 7 p.m. at Zhongxin Marketplace and display that brand's latest selections.

Hei Bai Qie Art Space
Blog: http://blackandwhite62.
pixnet.net/blog
Tel: 0935-677591
(Cai Zhi-xian)
62, WuQuan 1st St, West District (located inside Zhongxin Marketplace)

The theme of the latest
photography exhibition is
"Marketplace".

Walking through Zhongxin Marketplace offers a wide range of truly unique destinations. The first floor of CAME ZA Photo Studio is an exhibition space, while the second floor showcases furniture, antique cameras, camera films and some camera-related products like straps, customized handmade bags, and albums for Polaroid photos. Because the management wants to share its love for film cameras, it even published its own magazine in March. Owner Mr. Chen not only loves shooting just about everything in front of him with a camera, but also likes to collect antique furniture from around the world and displays it in his store. There are no price tags on these items, and the owner believes that someday the right people will take them home. CAME ZA's third floor is used to teach people how to develop monochrome photos and create cyanotype photos. Those interested are welcome to sign up via e-mail and classes are held Saturdays and Sundays. If you are passionate about photography, CAME ZA is certainly a place you should check out.

CAME ZA Photo Studio
Blog: camezasquare.blogspot.com
Tel: 0989-508832
E-mail: yute.chen@gmail.com
Hours: Sat & Sun 2-10 pm
62, WuQuan 1st St, West District (located inside Zhongxin Marketplace)

Following the aroma of coffee at the market will lead you to Zhongxin Antiques, which also serves hand-brewed coffee, and is marked by the very lively, eye-catching red paint on its outside wall. The owner's wife, Zheng, loves and understands antiques so much that she can tell the story and background of every product in the store, and she hopes that customers will give new life to the antiques they take home with an understanding of the stories behind them. Zhongxin Antiques also provides antique services like value-assessments, repairs, consulting and for-sale consignments. Customers will certainly find interesting items here, such as a hundred-year-old dressing table, vintage ashtray, 60-year-old watchmaker's shop sign, and 40-plus-year-old suitcase that belonged to a geographer who traveled around the world.

Zhongxin Antiques
Tel: 0917-206212
Hours: Sat & Sun 2-9 pm
62, WuQuan 1st St, West District (located inside Zhongxin Marketplace)

Left: High-society items include exquisite fly and conch shaped ashtrays handmade of pure copper.
Right: Before plastic products, people used celluloid made of camphor. The colorful celluloid on the iron windows here reminds people of the good old days.

Film-related items--including
posters, stickers, and
postcards--are seen
everywhere at the nostalgic-
feeling Petit Deer, which also
provides information about the
exibitions for new illustrators
that it periodically holds.

In order to promote good movies to the public, Petit Deer Theater shows great independent films for cheap prices (NT$50/1 movie, NT$120/3 movies) and holds other events, such as inviting many new-generation illustrators to create posters for film festivals. The owner notes that although many indie films have plots and directors that are as good as major theater releases they usually can't be seen at big theaters because they aren't sold to major film distributors. To remedy this, Petit Deer holds film festivals every February, July and August; movie buffs can find the latest information about these on the theater's official blog and Facebook. Free open-air movie showings are also a part of these festivals, with the expensive equipment needed for this being provided by regular collaborating arts and culture businesses, says the owner. From November to mid-December this year, Petit Deer will hold its "Doomsday Movie Festival", with the preservation of endangered Chinese White Dolphins one of its major themes, and festivals posters created by the famous illustrator, "57". Anyone seeking out unusual or hard-to-find films should check out this place.

Petit Deer Theater
Blog: http://blog.yam.com/petitdeer
Tel: (04) 2375-0912
E-mail: petitdeer2011@gmail.com
Hours: 2-9:30 pm Sat/Sun 2-9:30 pm (not open if there's no movie festival; visit the official blog for specific festival dates)
62, WuQuan 1st St, West District (located inside Zhongxin Marketplace)

The sensitive, intelligent Miss Cai is the owner of A Room of One's Own bookstore. She says that the biggest difference between her bookstore and others is that most of her books are about social science, social movements and feminist literature, which she personally prefers. The name of the store, inspired by a famous work by English writer Virginia Woolf, refers to the idea that every woman should have her own room where she can write. The owner hopes that the bookstore will promote a gender-diverse society and help women break out of the bonds of traditional thinking. The store hosts book clubs and forums every third Wednesday of the month, as well as occasional movie festivals and new-book release events. For more information, visit the store's official blog and e-mail to sign up (a NT$100 fee is charged).

A Room of One's Own Bookstore
Blog: http://blog.roodo.com/aroom
Tel: (04) 2375-5031
E-mail: room@thusbook.com.tw
Hours: 2-10 pm Sunday, Thursday-Saturday 2-10 pm
62, WuQuan 1st St, West District (located inside Zhongxin Marketplace)

At the attractive bar, visitors
can chat with Miss Jiang about
anything under the sun. The
lamp sitting on the bar is
another amazing work by artist
Cai Zhi-xian.

Z Space is a unique gallery featuring a very unusual exhibition space built by Cai Zhi-xian. Its color combination of black, white and gray and Cai's iron sculptures create a spartan, pure-feeling ambiance that contrasts the works displayed there. The gallery manager says that most of the artworks here interact with the gallery itself--a basic requirement for gallery displays. Thus, visitors not only view artists' works but also appreciate the structural beauty of the gallery and note the contrasts between the interior and the outside environment of Zhongxin Marketplace. To some people, Z Space is like an artist treasure island of sorts where the even the smallest items and details--such as little decorative plants--become eye-catching. If you are interested in any works here, gallery manager Miss Jiang is very happy to help. Z Space holds forums every month and every exhibition lasts between four and six weeks. For latest information, visit the gallery's official blog. An upcoming joint exhibition taking place between Sept. 8 and Oct. 2 will display works by artists Lin Yu-chen, Yang Ya-qi and Lu Yan-xun.

「Z space」
Blog: http://zspace.pixnet.net/blog
Tel: 0952-585162(Miss Jiang)
Hours: 5-9 pm, 2-9 pm Thu/Fri 5-9 pm; Sat/Sun 2-9 pm
62, WuQuan 1st St, West District (located inside Zhongxin Marketplace)

Left: In order to liven up its exhibition areas, the four-floor Z Space positions cute little plants on its windowsills.