Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts Introduction
Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (abbreviated as KMFA) was established in 1994 and is located in the Weibi Cultural Park in the northwest of Kaohsiung City. The area was originally part of the "Weibi Wetland." The northern edges of Guishan and Banping Mountain, along with Shoushan stretching north-south to the west, converge with the Love River running through the area, creating a landscape surrounded by mountains and water. In 2017, the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts was restructured as an administrative corporation under the jurisdiction of the Kaohsiung City Professional Cultural Institutions, continuing to deepen local culture by collecting works from Taiwanese artists. Annually, it supports emerging artists through events like the "Kaohsiung Award" and "KS Kaohsiung Experimental Field," in addition to curating thematic exhibitions and research exhibitions for artists. The museum also seeks collaboration with world-class museums to introduce various large-scale international exhibitions, providing a broader and more diverse range of contemporary art experiences for the public. In recent years, the museum has actively developed online interactive resources, such as 360-degree panoramic exhibition spaces, online sensory resource guides, and an online arts database (including visual image databases, databases of contemporary memory projects in the South Seas, and collections for reading), along with a YouTube channel that is updated regularly according to exhibitions. This makes the museum not only a destination for cultural and artistic visits but also a platform for knowledge sharing. The main building of KMFA consists of four above-ground floors and two basement levels. The first floor features international special exhibitions and contemporary high-ceiling exhibition halls, the second floor focuses on thematic curations or artist research exhibitions, the third floor houses a special collection room on the diverse historical perspectives of the Greater South, and the fourth floor is a contemporary experimental creation exhibition space. The basement contains a lecture hall with 352 seats and art resource classrooms for group art education, as well as an art research room housing more than 46,000 art books and materials available for public access and research. In 2005, the "Visitor Service Center" located on the west side of the park was transformed into a Children's Art Museum, making it the first art museum in Taiwan specifically designed for children. It includes a three-story main building and an outdoor landscaped garden, serving as an ecological space that integrates culture, art, education, leisure, and play. Unlike traditional educational institutions, the Children's Art Museum integrates museum education with children's art education, combining interactive displays with art education promotion activities. Through curated themes, it provides rich, interesting, and lively educational exhibitions, allowing children to learn about art through play, creation, exploration, observation, experience, and imagination. In recent years, the Children's Art Museum has integrated the landscaped ecology of the Weibi Cultural Park and the resources of KMFA, focusing on deepening children's art education promotion by integrating community and school resources, moving towards goals of "ecology, environmental protection, culture, and art." Surrounded by lush greenery, the sandpit in front serves as a play paradise for parents and children. The art museum's grounds, spanning 43 hectares, feature over 40 pieces of art sculptures and public art scattered among the park's lakeside woods and meadows, showcasing diverse visual effects that extend the natural environment into part of the museum's exhibition space and education. With various visiting mechanisms, the establishment of KMFA Bookstore, a quality restaurant within the park, and the recent development of ecological guidance courses, cultural markets, and numerous outdoor activities, the museum is centered on creating an experience defined as the "Art Ecological Living Circle within a Day at the Museum." It aims to serve as a platform for art living and aesthetic experiences. The museum complex includes the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, the Children's Art Museum, and the Weibi Art Center, making it a cultural hub that integrates ecology, art, and leisure. In an environment filled with the sounds of chirping insects and singing birds, and the shimmering waters, art takes root, grows, and thrives under the bright sun of southern Taiwan.
