In the spring of 2022, a solo exhibition of Israeli visual artist Beverly Barkat’s “Mass Movement Energy” opened at Da Xiang Art Space, a well-known academic art gallery in Taichung in central Taiwan. The exhibition – the first of its kind in Asia – displayed 18 spectacular oil paintings and ink drawings, presenting Barkat’s exploration of matter in the universe, and specific motions that unveil a complex, yet subtle dynamic of painting.
This is the second time that Barkat exhibited her works in Taiwan. Her work “After the Tribes” was shown for the first time in Taiwan during the International Art Taipei Fair in 2019.
The Art Taipei Fair in Taiwan is one of the biggest art fairs in Asia and is visited by tens of thousands of people. The event takes place every year under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, the Export Institute and the Taiwanese Galleries Association and receives great prestige and exposure in the media.
Initial contact between Barkat and the art fair was made through the staff of the Israeli Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei, which assisted in creating connections with the local cultural and artistic scene.
A special event welcoming Barkat to the fair was held, together with the Israeli trade office and the Taiwan Israel Chamber of Commerce, with the participation of the Art Taipei chairman. During the fair, Barkat also gave a lecture about her work “After the Tribes” and the process by which it was created. The artwork combines natural materials collected from sites formerly inhabited by the biblical tribes of Israel, and shows a connection to the history of the Jewish people and their inseparable link to their land. Close to one hundred participants attended the lecture.
Barkat was the first Israeli artist to exhibit at the fair in a decade, and her work aroused great interest among art collectors and galleries in Taiwan. The Taiwanese value art and many companies on the island boast original works that decorate the foyers and meeting rooms in their buildings.
During her visit, Barkat was enthusiastically received by the Taiwanese people. She met the Deputy Mayor of Taipei, Tsai Ping-Kun, and the Taiwanese Minister of Culture, Cheng Li-Chun who visited the fair and proposed to exhibit Barkat’s work in other leading museums in Taiwan. These gestures of support affirmed the powerful visual effect of the artwork and the impact on the people who came to observe it.
After her first exhibition in Taiwan and the excellent connections that she made with the Taiwanese art scene, Barkat was invited to show her work again at Da Xiang gallery in May 2022 as a solo artist. Due to a Covid outbreak, the opening of “Mass Movement Energy” was delayed, but despite these challenges, the exhibition enjoyed a great deal of press coverage.
After the exhibition in May, three paintings from 'Mass Movement Energy' and three new works were exhibited between August 13th and September 19th at the same gallery as part of “NATURE ─ Women’s Contemporary Gaze,” a group exhibition of four female artists interpreting changes and transformations from the female perspective. Barkat’s works were presented together with the works of three local female artists: Jun T. Lai, Nien-Tzu Chen and Wei-Ying Hsu.
Galit Cohen Caspi, Head of Public Affairs at the Israel Economic & Cultural Office in Taipei, said, “We congratulate the professional relationship that continues to be maintained between the artist and the gallery and the developing and expanding artistic discourse, and we very much hope to welcome Beverly Barkat in Taiwan again soon.”