2025 pier-2 art center artist-in-residence program (pair)

Kaohsiung, located in the southern Taiwan, is the second largest city of the country and was once an industrial metropolis. With a seaport that serves as the gateway to international trade, Kaohsiung is characterized by diverse development, passion, and liveliness.

Pier-2 refers to Pier No. 2 in Tidal Basin No. 3 of the Port of Kaohsiung. It was built in 1973 as a general harbor warehouse complex. In 2000, this site that carried an air of experimentalism was rediscovered when the Kaohsiung City Government was looking for a suitable location for the National Day fireworks display. In recent years, exhibitions and performances such as "The Delight of Chinese Character Festival," "Kaohsiung Design Festival," "Kaohsiung International Steel & Iron Sculpture Festival," "Kaohsiung International Container Arts Festival," "Mega-port Festival," "Rainbow Bay Festival," and "Experimental Theatre Festival" have enriched the cultural landscape of Pier-2 as its most prominent events.

In addition to serving as a distinctive art and cultural space in Kaohsiung, Pier-2 is also a recreation area for the public, drawing huge crowds with its open and multi-purpose space. The Pier-2 Art Center develops as an international art platform in Taiwan, focusing on avant-garde, experimental, and original artistic endeavors. Consisting of merely two warehouses in the beginning, it has now grown into an area with a total of 25 structures that are grouped into Dayong Warehouse, Penglai Warehouse, and Dayi Warehouse. Besides a variety of art exhibitions and performances, spaces are also utilized for experimental theater and small-scale popular music concerts as well as cultural development that Pier-2 actively invites the cultural and creative arts sector to participate in.

Dayi Warehouse was initially used by the Taiwan Sugar Corporation for storing sugar and fish meal. Due to the shift in industrial focus, the space was leased to shipbreaking companies as their workplace. In 2012, with the effort of the City Government, Dayi Warehouse finally became part of the Pier-2 Art Center. The nearly six-meter high old buildings are the distinctive features of Dayi Warehouse, primarily used as a venue to guide professionals in the cultural and creative sector in creating artworks, conducting research and development, and providing services in Pier-2. The pros may also engage in inter-industry or cross-disciplinary collaboration with resident artists, creating a clustering effect.

The Pier-2 Art Center Artist-in-Residence Program (PAIR) designates a section of Dayi Warehouse as the dedicated space for resident artists and artistic groups. A 33-square-meter creation space (complete with a bathroom) and a 17-square-meter attic for living space are available for artists to create artworks, which we hope will add vitality to Pier-2 and foster a platform for art and cultural exchanges and performances. Currently, the Center provides eight artist studios (including living space) and one lounge—a versatile area suitable for idea exchange, cooking, dining, administration, lectures, meetings, and more, offering resident artists a platform rich in art and cultural resources for exhibitions, performances, and exchanges.