Taipei Dangdai Cancels Art Fair Slated for July

Taipei Dangdai has notified participating galleries of its 2021 fair that the annual physical event, originally slated for July 2–4 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, will not proceed as planned.

While Taipei Dangdai did not elaborate on the reasons for the cancellation, in its response to ArtAsiaPacific on March 11, the team confirmed the fair’s decision, saying that the event will be replaced by another physical event of a smaller scale. More details about the July event will be announced in the coming weeks. The team further added that, “We remain committed to and confident in Taiwan’s art scene, and look forward to staging the Fair again as a world-class art event amid an increasingly rich cultural landscape when it is safe and logistically possible to do so.” According to co-director Robin Peckham, the smaller in-person event will connect international galleries with local galleries in Taiwan. 

Inaugurated in 2019, Taipei Dangdai is the city’s largest international art fair, and usually takes place in January. The 2021 edition, originally scheduled for January 15–17, was first delayed to May 21–23 in September 2020 due to ongoing travel restrictions and uncertainties brought about by Covid-19. Later, in November 2020, the fair was postponed again to July due to the shuffling of schedules of other Asian fairs, most notably Art Basel Hong Kong’s postponement from March to May 21–23. Taipei Dangdai’s 2020 edition of the fair launched as planned in January, right before the wide spread of the coronavirus in East Asia.

Taiwan’s number of Covid-19 cases has remained relatively low, with nearly zero local transmissions since mid-April 2020 due to its strict policies of border control, face mask mandates, and a compulsory 14-day quarantine for all incoming travelers. However, most business activities have been operating as normal throughout 2020 and thus far in 2021.

Pamela Wong is ArtAsiaPacific’s assistant editor. 

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