Trouble in Taichung - Artworld - proposed Guggenheim Museum in Taichung, Taiwan - Brief Article

Things are looking iffy for the proposed branch of the Guggenheim Museum in Taichung, Taiwan. According to local press reports, the town's mayor, Jason Hu, told Guggenheim director Thomas Krens in November that the city could not sign the contract for the establishment of the 300,000-squarefoot, $400-million museum--designed by Zaha Hadid--because it had not received promised funds from the national government. Hu asked for an additional four to six months to secure the appropriation. The funding is part of a larger spending bill that has not yet been enacted. The city of Taichung reportedly would contribute 20 percent of the project costs, while the remainder is expected to come from the central and/or regional governments.

In late November, attendees at a symposium at Taichung's Tunghai University expressed concern about the viability of the satellite Guggenheim. Opponents noted that attendance at the Guggenheim Bilbao has decreased since it opened in 1997, and they cited last year's layoffs and budget cutbacks in New York. Concerns were also raised about Taichung's lack of an international airport, rail system and related infrastructure to accommodate museum visitors. Other opponents addressed larger questions of an American cultural invasion and took issue with the implication that Taiwan's art scene needs "rescuing."

As this issue went to press, Guggenheim spokesman Anthony Calnek said that the feasibility study had just been completed and submitted to the Guggenheim board and the city of Taichung. The board is expected to decide whether to endorse the project by late January, at which point the Guggenheim could enter into contract negotiations. Taichung's timeframe is less certain. Calnek said the press reports reflect the city's attempt to put itself in a position to negotiate an agreement for the establishment of a museum branch, and that the museum is a "long way from a contract."

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