Art Museum

Asia University Museum of Modern Art

Asia University Museum of Modern Art
Asia University Museum of Modern Art

Asia University Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Wufeng District, Taiwan.

About Asia University Museum of Modern Art

The Asia Museum of Modern Art (traditional Chinese: 亞洲現代美術館; simplified Chinese: 亚洲现代美术馆; pinyin: Yàzhōu Xiàndài Měishùguǎn; Taiwanese: A-tsiu Hiān-tāi Bí-su̍t-kuán) is an art museum in Wufeng District, Taichung, Taiwan. The museum is located at Asia University.

Asia University Museum of Modern Art by the numbers

Founded
2013

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Asia University Museum of Modern Art

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Overview

The Asia Museum of Modern Art, also known as Asia Modern, is a museum of modern and contemporary art located on the campus of Asia University in Wufeng District, Taichung, Taiwan. Opened in 2013, the institution was conceived to elevate Taiwan's international cultural profile and to serve as a platform for young Asian artists. Its building, designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, has become a distinctive landmark in the region.

Founding & history

The museum's origins trace to a groundbreaking ceremony held on 24 January 2011. After nearly seven years of construction, the facility was officially named the Asia Museum of Modern Art on 4 September 2013. A soft launch followed on 21 September 2013, with the formal opening held on 24 October 2013 in a ceremony attended by President Ma Ying-jeou and Taichung Mayor Jason Hu. The project emerged from Asia University's ambition to construct a world-renowned art museum in Taiwan, dedicating significant resources to architecture and collection building as part of a broader effort to establish the country's international brand in the cultural sphere.

Collection scope

Beyond Asia University's original holdings, the museum focuses primarily on collecting representative works by young Asian artists. This emphasis reflects its stated mission to support and cultivate emerging local and young artists in Taiwan, positioning itself as a nurturing institution within the regional art ecosystem. The programming also extends to international modern and contemporary art, with exhibitions spanning retrospective surveys, thematic group shows, and solo presentations.

Notable holdings

While specific permanent collection highlights are not extensively documented in available sources, the museum's exhibition history indicates a commitment to both established and emerging figures. Past exhibitions have included a retrospective of Ting Yin Yung, a survey of Chao Chung-hsiang's work, a Yayoi Kusama and Ching-Lung Chen pairing, and shows featuring Paul Chiang, Bill Viola, and Armand Fernandez. Programming has also addressed regional art education history, as seen in the 2018 exhibition on Chiang-Hsun's Dadu Studio.

Building & site

The museum was designed by Tadao Ando, the world-famous Japanese architect known for his minimalist concrete structures. The building takes a distinctive triangular form, a design motif that extends throughout the interior and has made it a popular location for fashion photography. The interior covers 4,111 square metres, with surrounding grounds measuring 19,840 square metres. The three-storey structure houses a café, shop, and lecture hall on the ground floor, with art galleries on the upper floors. The building stands in notable contrast to the European-inspired architecture elsewhere on the Asia University campus, such as a gymnasium modelled on Rome's Colosseum. Situated amid the rural-industrial sprawl of southern Taichung on the outskirts of historic Wufeng, the museum occupies a campus setting that blends academic and public functions.

Visiting

The museum is located at No. 500, Liufeng Road, Wufeng District, Taichung City, Taiwan. It operates under Asia University's ownership and serves as a public-facing cultural institution weekdays and weekends. Opening hours are 09:30 to 17:00 from Tuesday through Sunday, with Monday as the weekly off day. Visitor facilities include parking and toilets. The museum maintains an English-language website at asiamodern.asia.edu.tw.

Museums near Asia University Museum of Modern Art

Artworks shown from Asia University Museum of Modern Art are in the public domain; images via the open-access programs of their source collections. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.