Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles

Taiwanese artist Cheng Jen-Pei is participating in the residency program at the 18th Street Art Center from June to August 2025. Cheng’s artworks take the form of participatory art, studying the state of food culture in daily practices from the perspective of environmental and humanistic issues. During her residency, she would like to explore the development of Taiwanese and global immigrants’ cuisine in this metropolitan. Before Los Angeles, she has been living and creating in Yokohama, Japan. In her latest work, Women’s Cookbook, she explores culinary cultures and seasonal festivals to connect food with society. Her works have been exhibited in various cities across Taiwan, as well as in New York, Paris, Finland, South Korea, and Japan. A gathering, in which she will introduce her work, will be held on July 1, 5 PM at 18th Street Art Center. Feel free to present to have a conversation with her.

On June 17, 2025, Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture held a press conference to announce the upcoming U.S. tours of five acclaimed Taiwanese performing arts groups: Bulareyaung Dance Company (布拉瑞揚舞團), Huang Yi Studio+ (黃翊工作室), Hung Dance (翃舞製作), Twincussion (雙子打擊樂團), and choreographer LIU I-Ling (劉奕伶). Each group has been invited by major festivals and venues across the U.S., including New York, Washington D.C., Houston, and more—demonstrating Taiwan’s continued artistic excellence on the global stage.

Minister of Culture Yuan Li (李遠) emphasized that, despite tightened budgets, the Ministry is committed to ensuring international touring opportunities for Taiwan’s artists: “No matter what kind of group you are, if you make it abroad—you are part of Taiwan’s national team.”

A special highlight this season is Hung Dance, whose tour from November to December 2025 will span Vancouver (Canada), Port Angeles (Washington), Scottsdale (Arizona), and Denver (Colorado). Their powerful performances blend ritual movement, contemporary aesthetics, and cultural depth—bringing Taiwan’s voice to stages across North America.

Stay tuned for more tour updates from Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles!

The 15th edition of FICUNAM (Festival Internacional de Cine UNAM) took place from May 29 to June 5, 2025. Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles was honored to collaborate with FICUNAM in presenting a series of key events that celebrated Taiwanese cinema and creative talent.

On May 31, acclaimed Taiwanese production and costume designer Wern-Ying Hwarng joined Mexican art director Daniela Schneider for an engaging conversation on the craft of visual storytelling. The masterclass explored their creative approaches, the discipline of design, and how research and aesthetics inform the cinematic space. Hwarng also reflected on her transition from design to directing, drawing on decades of collaboration with director Hou Hsiao-hsien.

That evening, Millennium Mambo (2001) opened the festival’s retrospective dedicated to Hou Hsiao-hsien. Ambassador Iván Lee, Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Mexico, delivered opening remarks in Spanish, emphasizing Taiwan’s commitment to cultural diplomacy and the significance of artistic exchange between Taiwan and Mexico. Wern-Ying Hwarng introduced the screening and warmly greeted the audience.

Directors Ping-Wen Wang and Tzu-Hui Peng attended special screenings of their debut feature A Journey in Spring, where they engaged with audiences in meaningful post-screening discussions. Their reflections on themes of loss, memory, and intergenerational connection resonated strongly with viewers in Mexico City.

While the main program concluded on June 5, Taiwanese films remained part of the extended programming. The Hou Hsiao-hsien retrospective continued through June 8 at Filmoteca UNAM, and A Journey in Spring was screened again on June 9 and 10, including a campus event at UAM Iztapalapa that welcomed students and the general public for an open dialogue with the directors.

Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles is proud to support Taiwanese filmmakers and to foster international cultural exchange through cinema. We thank our partners in Mexico for their warm collaboration and look forward to continued creative dialogue in the future.