Life Encounters Art (TAIPEI Quarterly 2025 Autumn Vol.41)Post date：2025-09-10
303
TAIPEI #41 (2025 Autumn)
Life Encounters Art
Taipei's Hybrid Cultural-Creative Spaces
TEXT Han Cheung
PHOTOS Vision, Winsing Arts Foundation, Studio Millspace
Taipei's cultural-creative venues often serve multiple functions. Visitors may encounter any combination of gallery, café, bookstore, select shop, art studio, or community space, the components blending fluidly to craft a unique experience. It's also common for such spaces to host workshops, talks, performances, and other cultural events.
The subdued, gray façade at ISland belies its quirky three-story interior, filled with carefully selected arts and crafts, mostly from Taiwanese artists. The space is located in a quiet alley in the Qingtian Street neighborhood, popular for its vintage Japanese houses and atmospheric cafés.
Many of the offerings are made from natural materials, emphasizing earthy textures, and are inspired by organic forms. These include ceramics, lifestyle goods, fragrances, jewelry, apparel, lighting, decorative objects, household wares, and other curiosities. ISland also collaborates with local artists and organizations to create unique pieces, such as a gift box containing a hand-blown shot glass and kumquat mead, or a series of everyday items featuring artwork by people with disabilities.
With high ceilings and abundant natural light, the first floor immediately evokes a sense of calm, encouraging visitors to wander. The flowing, sculptural spiral staircase serves as the room's centerpiece, leading to the mezzanine where more creative goods await. Visitors can remove their shoes and try the locally designed floor chairs in a small corner by a window with a view onto cherry blossoms in the spring; the space is bathed in a soothing orange glow during sunsets.
Beside the staircase is an arched portal leading down to the spacious basement gallery, in which themed exhibitions by Taiwanese artists are periodically featured, often with an emphasis on handicraft t s. Past exhibit ions include an exploration of "time" by three artists through ceramics, glass, and repurposed used objects, as well as a modern interpretation of indigenous paper mulberry-fiber techniques. ISland also hosts workshops on such subjects as herbal candle-making, Japanese maki-e lacquer clock decorating, and leatherworking.
ISland 一嶼
🚩10, Ln. 6, Qingtian St., Daan Dist.
📞(02) 2391-6505
🔗www.is-land.tw
🕝Wed-Sun 12:00pm-7:00pm
Drawing inspiration from Italo Calvino's fantastical novel Invisible Cities, the minimalist, white interior at Winsing Art Place possesses hidden architectural surprises that unfold as the visitor journeys through the main gallery, café, and bookstore.
▲Seating area on the ground floor
One such detail is found in a partially open section of the otherwise low-ceilinged ground-floor gallery, where one can spot an arched opening above, hinting at another realm beyond. This compels the visitor to investigate, prompting them to exit the gallery and head up a striking black staircase to the second-floor library. It turns out that this is one of a series of openings aligned neatly across the space, revealing shifting perspectives and sightlines depending on position. These subtle features link the three main separate areas visually, adding to the intrigue of wandering through the place.
Created by Winsing Art Foundation, which is backed by a development company, this architecture- and city-themed space is located in a quaint residential neighborhood in Neihu District. The gallery primarily showcases work by internationally renowned artists; past shows have featured Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto, French conceptualist Pierre Huyghe, Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco, and American photographer Nan Goldin. This autumn/winter, the gallery hosts a retrospective exhibition focusing on Chinese-born artist Li Yuan Chia's creative journey. Li studied art in Taiwan and is considered to have been one of the founding fathers of Chinese abstract painting in the 1950s.
▲Staircase to the second floor
The bookstore section feels like a secluded sanctuary. Transparent bookshelves add to the meditative atmosphere, while the semi-open layout offers occasional glimpses of the floors below. The shop mostly offers architecture and art books, which include rare and out-of-print titles. There's a table with titles curated around a specific theme, and the space also hosts artist talks and discussions on architecture and the urban landscape.
Winsing Art Place 文心藝所
🚩6, Aly. 10, Ln. 180, Sec. 6, Minquan E. Rd., Neihu Dist.
📞(02) 2790-2786
🔗instagram.com/winsingartplace
🕝Wed-Sat, Mon 10:30am-6:30pm; Sun 1:30pm-8:30pm
Those seeking refuge from bustling shopping malls, entertainment hotspots, and crowds on Nanjing West Road can duck into Link Lion for a moment of peace. Tucked away on a narrow-façade commercial building's second floor, this space combines a gallery, bookstore, café, and select shop in a warm and inviting venue. With the atmosphere falling somewhere between that of a formal gallery and a cozy café, visitors can browse the abundant offerings at their leisure or simply sit down and unwind.
The Lion brand has long been a champion of the arts in Taiwan. Its story began with the influential Lion Art Monthly magazine that ran from 1971 to 1996. Opened in 2016, Link Lion continues this legacy through the connecting of people to art and culture.
The main gallery features a rotating selection of works by Taiwanese and Japanese artists, spanning illustration, ceramics, photography, paper sculpture, and picture books. Picture books also feature significantly in Link Lion's reading selection, including a section dedicated to India's Tara Books, which specializes in handcrafted publications. The rest of the books focus on art and culture, with a full archive of Lion Art Monthly and other Lion publications. Curated shelves feature books recommended by notable cultural figures.
The store also offers a selection of decorative and lifestyle goods, including in-house Buddhist items such as decorations, meditation apparel, and singing bowls. Link Lion regularly holds workshops, ranging from calligraphy to crocheting to oil printing – as well as lecture series, the most recent one exploring music found in films.
Link Lion 雄獅星空
🚩2F, 9, Nanjing W. Rd., Zhongshan Dist.
📞(02) 2523-6173
🔗www.linklionart.com
🕝Wed-Fri, Sun 1:00pm-7:00pm; Sat 10:00am-7:00pm
🗺️Click here to see aforementioned spots on Google Map
Life Encounters Art
Taipei's Hybrid Cultural-Creative Spaces
TEXT Han Cheung
PHOTOS Vision, Winsing Arts Foundation, Studio Millspace
Taipei's cultural-creative venues often serve multiple functions. Visitors may encounter any combination of gallery, café, bookstore, select shop, art studio, or community space, the components blending fluidly to craft a unique experience. It's also common for such spaces to host workshops, talks, performances, and other cultural events.
The subdued, gray façade at ISland belies its quirky three-story interior, filled with carefully selected arts and crafts, mostly from Taiwanese artists. The space is located in a quiet alley in the Qingtian Street neighborhood, popular for its vintage Japanese houses and atmospheric cafés.
Many of the offerings are made from natural materials, emphasizing earthy textures, and are inspired by organic forms. These include ceramics, lifestyle goods, fragrances, jewelry, apparel, lighting, decorative objects, household wares, and other curiosities. ISland also collaborates with local artists and organizations to create unique pieces, such as a gift box containing a hand-blown shot glass and kumquat mead, or a series of everyday items featuring artwork by people with disabilities.
With high ceilings and abundant natural light, the first floor immediately evokes a sense of calm, encouraging visitors to wander. The flowing, sculptural spiral staircase serves as the room's centerpiece, leading to the mezzanine where more creative goods await. Visitors can remove their shoes and try the locally designed floor chairs in a small corner by a window with a view onto cherry blossoms in the spring; the space is bathed in a soothing orange glow during sunsets.
Beside the staircase is an arched portal leading down to the spacious basement gallery, in which themed exhibitions by Taiwanese artists are periodically featured, often with an emphasis on handicraft t s. Past exhibit ions include an exploration of "time" by three artists through ceramics, glass, and repurposed used objects, as well as a modern interpretation of indigenous paper mulberry-fiber techniques. ISland also hosts workshops on such subjects as herbal candle-making, Japanese maki-e lacquer clock decorating, and leatherworking.
ISland 一嶼
🚩10, Ln. 6, Qingtian St., Daan Dist.
📞(02) 2391-6505
🔗www.is-land.tw
🕝Wed-Sun 12:00pm-7:00pm
Drawing inspiration from Italo Calvino's fantastical novel Invisible Cities, the minimalist, white interior at Winsing Art Place possesses hidden architectural surprises that unfold as the visitor journeys through the main gallery, café, and bookstore.
▲Seating area on the ground floor
One such detail is found in a partially open section of the otherwise low-ceilinged ground-floor gallery, where one can spot an arched opening above, hinting at another realm beyond. This compels the visitor to investigate, prompting them to exit the gallery and head up a striking black staircase to the second-floor library. It turns out that this is one of a series of openings aligned neatly across the space, revealing shifting perspectives and sightlines depending on position. These subtle features link the three main separate areas visually, adding to the intrigue of wandering through the place.
Created by Winsing Art Foundation, which is backed by a development company, this architecture- and city-themed space is located in a quaint residential neighborhood in Neihu District. The gallery primarily showcases work by internationally renowned artists; past shows have featured Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto, French conceptualist Pierre Huyghe, Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco, and American photographer Nan Goldin. This autumn/winter, the gallery hosts a retrospective exhibition focusing on Chinese-born artist Li Yuan Chia's creative journey. Li studied art in Taiwan and is considered to have been one of the founding fathers of Chinese abstract painting in the 1950s.
▲Staircase to the second floor
The bookstore section feels like a secluded sanctuary. Transparent bookshelves add to the meditative atmosphere, while the semi-open layout offers occasional glimpses of the floors below. The shop mostly offers architecture and art books, which include rare and out-of-print titles. There's a table with titles curated around a specific theme, and the space also hosts artist talks and discussions on architecture and the urban landscape.
Winsing Art Place 文心藝所
🚩6, Aly. 10, Ln. 180, Sec. 6, Minquan E. Rd., Neihu Dist.
📞(02) 2790-2786
🔗instagram.com/winsingartplace
🕝Wed-Sat, Mon 10:30am-6:30pm; Sun 1:30pm-8:30pm
Those seeking refuge from bustling shopping malls, entertainment hotspots, and crowds on Nanjing West Road can duck into Link Lion for a moment of peace. Tucked away on a narrow-façade commercial building's second floor, this space combines a gallery, bookstore, café, and select shop in a warm and inviting venue. With the atmosphere falling somewhere between that of a formal gallery and a cozy café, visitors can browse the abundant offerings at their leisure or simply sit down and unwind.
The Lion brand has long been a champion of the arts in Taiwan. Its story began with the influential Lion Art Monthly magazine that ran from 1971 to 1996. Opened in 2016, Link Lion continues this legacy through the connecting of people to art and culture.
The main gallery features a rotating selection of works by Taiwanese and Japanese artists, spanning illustration, ceramics, photography, paper sculpture, and picture books. Picture books also feature significantly in Link Lion's reading selection, including a section dedicated to India's Tara Books, which specializes in handcrafted publications. The rest of the books focus on art and culture, with a full archive of Lion Art Monthly and other Lion publications. Curated shelves feature books recommended by notable cultural figures.
The store also offers a selection of decorative and lifestyle goods, including in-house Buddhist items such as decorations, meditation apparel, and singing bowls. Link Lion regularly holds workshops, ranging from calligraphy to crocheting to oil printing – as well as lecture series, the most recent one exploring music found in films.
Link Lion 雄獅星空
🚩2F, 9, Nanjing W. Rd., Zhongshan Dist.
📞(02) 2523-6173
🔗www.linklionart.com
🕝Wed-Fri, Sun 1:00pm-7:00pm; Sat 10:00am-7:00pm
🗺️Click here to see aforementioned spots on Google Map
Gallery
:::
Popular articles
The Artful Heart of Taipei (TAIPEI Quarterly 2025 Autumn Vol.41)- Let's Go Play a Day in Beitou! (TAIPEI Quarterly 2025 Autumn Vol.41)
- Old Ways and New Ways in Cultural Fusion (TAIPEI Quarterly 2025 Autumn Vol.41)
- Eat Like a Star (TAIPEI Quarterly 2025 Autumn Vol.41)
- TAIPEI Quarterly 2025 Autumn Vol.41
- Life Encounters Art (TAIPEI Quarterly 2025 Autumn Vol.41)
