Taishin Bank Foundation for Arts and Culture

A stable, creative, and vibrant cultural society is undoubtedly the optimal prerequisite for businesses to maintain longevity and progress. Recognizing this, Mr. Thomas T.L. Wu, the leader of Taishin Group, established the "Taishin Bank Foundation for Arts and Culture" in May 2001. Its founding mission is "to elevate the quality of cultural life and foster a sound environment for artistic development." The Foundation is committed to embodying the spirit of "sowing, watering, and sharing," thereby fulfilling the social responsibility and cultural mission of a private enterprise. The Foundation sees itself as an institution supporting and sponsoring professional arts and cultural activities. Looking ahead to the diverse and rapidly developing social trends of the 21st century, where globalization and localization advance in parallel, it has decided to prioritize the promotion of contemporary Taiwanese arts and culture, dedicating itself to the observation, critique, and patronage of local art. Beyond helping contemporary Taiwanese art emerge as a shining beacon in the world of creative culture, the Foundation also hopes that through the promotion of art, the lives of the nation's people will be filled with more creative vitality and imaginative sensibility. The "Taishin Arts Award," launched in 2002, serves as the core of the Foundation's operations. It encompasses visual, performing, and interdisciplinary art activities, and its proactive nomination and cross-disciplinary selection mechanisms are both pioneering in Taiwan. To ensure the breadth, depth, and international visibility of this award, the nomination process involves dedicated nominators/observers, interactive discussions and cross-domain dialogues on perspectives, the establishment of the ARTalks website as a channel for public discussion, and subsequently, the invitation of internationally influential arts and cultural figures to participate in the final selection. In the process of building this national arts laureate, in addition to continuously introducing outstanding artistic creations with innovative visions to the public, the Foundation also hopes to use extensive critical discourse and related promotional and educational activities to convey that art itself should not be judged solely by awards or as an ultimate outcome. The Taishin Arts Award is an important reflection of Taiwan's diverse culture, allowing excellent works to resonate and interact with society once again. The Foundation aims to competently serve as a bridge for communication and transcendence between artists and the public, and as an envoy for corporate social responsibility. (Source: Taishin Art Foundation)