HUALIEN, TAIWAN - Media OutReach - 8 November 2023 - Located on the east coast of Taiwan, Hualien is rich in stone and minerals. This unique geology forms the renowned Taroko Gorge, Qingshui Cliff, and Qixingtan Beach, attracting domestic and foreign visitors to its majestic scenery.

The stone of Hualien is the DNA of the city, integrated into daily life, with stone lining the pedestrian walkways, transportation shelters, collage and mosaic walls, to its community of stone factories, art merchants, sculptors, and artist studios. This vibrant stone culture informs the eminent "Hualien International Stone Sculpture Festival."
The 2023 edition of "Hualien International Stone Sculpture Festival" is titled "STONEVERSE," symbolizing the thousands of possibilities of stone like the stars in the universe, beyond its existence as a material. The main event "Symposium" invites 10 sculptors for a month-long residency from September 30 to October 29, including Jean-Paul Chablais (France), Vincent Beaufils (France), Marino Di Prospero (Italy), Francesco Mazzotta (Italy), Raphael Beil (Germany), Roland Hoeft (Germany), Albena Mihaylova (Bulgaria), Zdravko Zdravkov (Bulgaria), Behnam Akharbin Moghanlo (Iran), Hedayat Sahraei (Iran). After 28 years of operation through "Symposium," Hualien has in its collection 180 large-scale stone sculptures created by artists from various countries. At the conclusion of their work, stone is granted life and faceted as precious gems, integrated into the majestic scenery of Hualien, awaiting its visitors.
The thematic exhibition "Detonation of Essence and Form" in a series of events will be on view at the Hualien County Stone Sculptural Museum until December 24. With works from 14 artists from Taiwan, China, South Africa, Japan, South Korea, among others, the exhibition aims to showcase diverse and contemporary perspectives on stone sculpture and material across generations, covering stone sculpture, metal casting, photography, video installation, imaging, melamine board, paper pulp, and furniture design.
Through consistent revisitation and interpretation of classic values, "stone sculpture" as a traditional art also continually renews itself. "Hualien International Stone Sculpture Festival" is a bridge between Hualien and the world, not only in creating an exceptional space for outstanding stone sculptors from all over the world, but also sharing the beauty of Hualien with the world, and collecting the essence of stone sculpture in Hualien for our understanding and appreciation.
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