88 Art Therapy Center Introduction
Understanding Tainan, starting from 88 Art Therapy Center. The predecessor of 88 Art Therapy Center is the "Ren An Hospital," which was established in 1950 and is located at No. 88, Pujih Street, Wutiao Port, Central and Western District, Tainan City. This land is a microcosm of Taiwan's history and the core starting point of Tainan's cultural context. Tainan is Taiwan's earliest city, and Wutiao Port is the earliest developed area of Tainan, rich in historical and cultural heritage. Ren An Hospital was first led by Dr. Cai Laizhang, and as no successors took over later, the clinic gradually declined, leading to the area's abandonment. In 2012, Mr. Jiang Wenzheng, the executive director of the Pujih Cultural and Historical Association and a senior design worker in Tainan, had a dream to contribute to Taiwan's culture and dedicate his life to the cultural heritage of Tainan. He believed that for culture to develop sustainably in the long term, there must be a place serving as a base for Tainan's cultural transmission. Upon learning of the abandonment of Ren An Hospital's building, he decided to revitalize the site as a base for Tainan's local cultural transmission. Ultimately, in 2024, he raised enough funds and purchased the old site out of his own pocket, renaming it 88 Art Therapy Center. It serves as a base for the Pujih Cultural and Historical Association, which organizes the Pujih Lantern Festival, the Earth Art Culture Association (known for children's choirs both domestically and internationally), Ronghe Studio, and the Jiao Tiao Integrated Marketing Studio (a long-established design studio in Tainan), all of which are early bases leading Tainan culture. Cultural features and stories. The most well-known event under the 88 Art Therapy Center is the "Pujih Lantern Festival," a major annual event in Tainan. The "Pujih Lantern Festival" has been held for 13 years, and it is not only a lantern festival but also a community practice initiated by the locals, bringing temple courtyard culture back into everyday life. The lantern festival is part of the living memory, symbolizing a collective memory of communal participation, allowing more people to see the stories and value of this land. The "Pujih Lantern Festival" has also been voted as one of Taiwan's top ten lantern festivals by the media and has led to numerous dynamic and static activities, including the Taiwan-Japan Exchange Sendai Art Lantern Exhibition, the 88 Art Therapy Center Old House Restoration Documentary Exhibition, the Light and Shadow Healing Photography Exhibition, seasonal rituals - puppet show performances, Tainan's Century of Business Management - Zhensheng Music Concert, DIY painted lantern workshops, Spring Festival cultural and creative market, and a series of lectures, all of which are tangible cultural achievements of the 88 Art Therapy Center. The transformation and practice of art therapy. The core philosophy of the 88 Art Therapy Center is to integrate art and culture into life, achieving the goal of "participatory life art for the common people." We invite domestic and international artists to take residence at the center, transforming old houses into cultural and artistic exhibition spaces. At the same time, we set up art courses suitable for all age groups and arrange numerous performances and activities to help residents reconnect emotionally with their local community. The vision of cultural reappearance. The 88 Art Therapy Center serves as a cultural space that carries living memories, dedicated to bringing temple courtyard culture back into daily life. Through diverse artistic means of healing, it accompanies community residents in reestablishing deep connections with the land. The 88 Art Therapy Center will continue to warm this land, becoming a sustainable force for local culture and art. "Every day is a cultural day, and everyone is a cultural person."
88 Art Therapy Center - Teacher Chiu Ru-Hua Lecture 1
Lecture by Teacher Fu Chao-Ching at 88 Art Therapy Institute 1
