Taipei City Government

At the “9th Public Art Awards” ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Culture on December 4, DORTS’ “Taipei MRT Circular line Phase I Public Art” won the Public Art Excellence Award. Following the 2012 achievement, "The Story of Lake City" which threads seven public artworks along the elevated section of the Wenhu line won the "3rd Public Art Awards - Excellence Award." This time, the artwork has once again won the favor of the judges for its high artistic value and spirit of macro-innovation.

DORTS stated that the artworks are the creations of the renowned French artists Daniel Buren and Emmanuelle Moureaux. A color strategy was employed to transform the MRT space into an artistic visual feast, inviting the public to see and feel our familiar living environment from the perspective of color while also experiencing the subtle changes that creativity in public art brings to urban life.

DORTS pointed out that the Circular line is the first domestic line to utilize elevated stacked station and viaduct construction, and the public art theme of the entire section is “like the clouds’ swift passage, the dragon travels thousands of miles.” This work breaks away from the stereotypical gray-green coloring of previous public constructions, successfully integrates artistic creativity into the project, and actively creates a work which brings about stunning visual pleasure. This has the simultaneous effect of transforming the MRT carriages into dragons traveling through time and space, with colors spreading across the floor, adding a pleasant rhythm to the cityscape.

DORTS also mentioned that in addition to sticking with the theme of creating an EMU which is fluid, can run, can be touched, and can shuttle people between cities, a number of innovations were also proposed for the public art on Circular line Phase I. It breaks away from the previous form of installations scattered in the corners of various MRT platforms. They were instead replaced with a “color plan” as the design base of the entire line. DORTS also stated that this was the first time that convention had been broken by connecting public art elements along the entire MRT line. For instance, the elevated track piers of the Circular line have been designed in a manner that transforms the “grey” giant Hulk into a check-in point for internet celebrities. Moreover, on the Xindian River, the 18-color "Rainbow Bridge" is also a popular check-in attraction. DORTS emphasized that they have made every effort to cooperate with the artists’ creativity in order to become an amazing example of public art both domestically and abroad as well as a model of engineering through 10 years of diligent efforts. 

DORTS further elaborated that regardless of whether people pass by on foot, by road, or ride in the EMUs, they can feel the vibrant colors of the Circular line. The artworks are in sequence in accordance with different themes across the entire line on the elevated beams and columns, drainage pipes, sound insulation walls, the interior and exterior decorations of EMUs, platform walls, the Xindian Bridge, the Dahan Bridge, and finally converging into a stunning color matrix at Banqiao Station. The colors flow through the entire Circular line to form a comprehensive visual feast. The Circular line is rich in colors that traverse the stations and surrounding landscapes along the line, making the daily routine of traveling or commuting into a colorful game.

DORTS Commissioner Cheng De-fa stated that public art projects completed between 2021 and 2022 were selected for this year’s Public Art Awards, and a total of 161 works from 17 counties and municipalities throughout the country were submitted for selection. Circular line Phase I public art has had excellent performance in terms of artistic creation, environmental integration, public participation, and educational promotion. Commissioner Cheng expressed his gratitude to the artists for their wonderful creations and being able to receive the highest honor Public Art Award. He also thanked Metro Taipei for maintaining careful management. Winning the favor of the jury is an acknowledgment of the collaboration between the MRT team and artists and serves as an impetus for DORTS to continue promoting public art.