The special exhibition "Soft Confessions of the City" debuts at the Taipei Contemporary Crafts and Design Branch, creating a space for physical and mental healing for urbanites

The "Soft Confessions of the City" special exhibition was launched at the Taipei Contemporary Crafts and Design Branch, creating a slow-down physical and mental healing corner for busy urbanites. (Provided by Craft Center)

[Reporter Dong Baiting/Taipei Report] In the fast-paced urban life, anxiety, tension and emotional exhaustion have become the daily conditions of many modern people. When you need a mental respite, in addition to seeking traditional medical assistance, art and culture can also become an invisible force to support the body and mind. From now until February 21, 2027, the Taipei Contemporary Craft Design Branch of the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Center launches the special exhibition "Soft Confessions of the City", introducing the concept of "social prescriptions" promoted in Europe and the United States to the Taiwan exhibition venue, positioning handicrafts as non-medical spiritual prescriptions close to ordinary people's lives.

Liang Jinzhi, director of the Craft Center, pointed out that craft creation requires a high degree of concentration and hands-on practice. In the process of the creator interacting with natural materials such as clay, wood, and metal, the pure traces of labor often contain the power to soothe people's hearts, allowing crafts to truly enter the daily life of the public and become a gentle way to regulate physical and mental balance.

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Chen Shixiong, a representative of the participating artists, said that through the presentation of multiple media, the exhibition hopes that the works can directly touch the inner emotions of visitors, allowing people to gain a moment of tranquility during their busy schedule. Xie Jiaheng, Chairman of the Taiwan Craft House Association, and Liu Wu, Chairman of the Taiwan Craft Development Association, also mentioned that by experiencing the handmade texture and the craftsmen’s devotion at close range, people can be guided to let go of their life worries and re-establish a gentle connection with themselves in the company of crafts.

The "Soft Confessions of the City" special exhibition plans the spiritual movement line of "release, empathy, and transformation". Through three major theme exhibition areas, it leads the public to step by step relieve the daily burdens that have accumulated for a long time. Entering the first exhibition area "City Relaxation", the exhibition uses craft objects that are humorous and close to ordinary people's life, guiding the audience to smile knowingly in the humorous lines, and smoothly release the tense nerves; the second exhibition area "Being Tenderly Embraced" builds a quiet room to return to the heart in the noisy city center, and does not pursue pleasure. Instead of quickly solving real-life problems, we use warm materials such as wool felt and fabrics to convey unconditional tolerance and support; the third exhibition area "Quiet Forest Breathing" uses the quiet forest as the landscape image to create a calm scene, leading the audience to reset their breathing rhythm with every breath and learn to accept their truest appearance.

In addition to static exhibitions, the museum also extends the healing power to physical experiences. The "Time Art Studio" on the 2nd floor selects handicrafts that combine life aesthetics and stress-relieving textures; the workshops on the 3rd floor also offer handmade courses at the same time, gathering teams such as Hao Workshop, Yan Jinyi Lacquer Thread Workshop and Shangzuo Artware, inviting the public to touch the materials with their own hands, and through the focused process of hand-kneading, shaping and weaving, take the gentle touch into your home. The exhibition is free to visit, please contact the official website of the Craft Center for details.

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