Art Taipei 2008 will be held in World Trade Center Exhibition Hall I from August 29th to September 2nd! The amount of applied exhibitors exceeds the original expectation. Art Taipei 2008 will feature 111 galleries including 48 foreign galleries from U.S.A., France, Spain, the Netherlands, India, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, and China (including Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong). The exhibitors will attend the fair with a variety of art works. With the profound assistance from Council for Cultural Affairs, Taipei City Government, Government Information Office, Ministry of Economic Affairs, and Tourism Bureau, Art Taipei 2008 will lay emphasis on transforming Taiwan art market into an influential international art platform through integration of government resources and related industries.

The seven sub-themed sections of Art Taipei 2008--【Art Galleries】,【Asia Live】,【Ela-Asia】, 【Year Project – Art & Tech】,【Made in Taiwan – Young Artist Discovery】,【Art Now - Japan】、【 International Art Media 】 --are organized to meet the increasingly multi-dimensional and specialized demands and trends of Taiwanese art collectors.

【Art Now - Japan 】with 13 art galleries from Japan presenting a complete scenery of contemporary art in Northeast Asia for Taiwan art lovers whose requirements and favor of collection are becoming more and more multiple and professional. 2008 Art Project - “Art & Tech - Wondering” is co-curated by Art Taipei 2008 Executive Committee and curator Sean C. S. Hu. This year, internationally renowned artists such as Gary Hill (U.S.A.), Jim Campbell (U.S.A.), Nam June Paik (Korea), IngridMwangiRobertHutter(Kenya/Germany) , and the work by distinguished Australian artist, Shaun Gladwell is included in this year’s exhibition. Last but not least, also to be included is the important Taiwanese contemporary artist, Chen Chieh Jen are invited to make a close connection between art works and markets, and to establish a new idea of multimedia art collection gradually.【Made in Taiwan – Young Artist Discovery】another exciting and inspiriting program, spotlights 8 Taiwanese emerging artists (under 35 years old). This project aims to provide a platform for the latest generation of emerging stars by building up a further partnership of exclusive representing between international galleries and artists. Furthermore, young artists with great potential are able to be introduced to the international art scene through the project in the fair.

Events of Art Taipei 2008 will begin with 2008 Asian Art Economy Forum in Taipei (August 26th & 27th, Auditorium at Taipei Fine Arts Museum) where local and international scholars and professionals are invited to examine the current and future trends in the globalized Asian art market, as well as observe the macroeconomics of art with close watch on investment opportunities and risk analysis in the rapidly growing art markets in Asia.

Art Taipei 2007 came to a successful end of the transactions of US$13.6 million and the growth rate of 200% had broken a record for the past 14 years. Art Taipei 2008 will continue to focus on Asian contemporary art and try to become an influential platform of art trade in Asia in the future on the basis of geographical advantages, social and economic integrity, and prosperous experiences of cultivating Asian and Chinese artists.