Tiffany Lay

As a dual citizen of Taiwan and the United States, I grew up attending Taipei American School. My parents grew up in the US but decided to move back to Taipei where they were originally from to raise their children. I’ve never been able to fully immerse myself in the Taiwanese culture since foreign and American cultures have always surrounded me. Even the internships that I have done in this city have been for established companies from abroad. Therefore this internship was my first step into true Taiwanese culture and people.

 

My internship at the Taipei Contemporary Art Center (TCAC) was one that was inspirational and eye opening. The center was founded and run mainly by established artist, curators and museum directors, working with them for two months gave me a clear perspective on Taiwanese culture and the contemporary art scene in Taiwan. Working at TCAC also gave me a chance to explore different parts of Taiwan and Taipei than I had previously seen, giving me a different perspective on the city. I was able to see and learn more about the local Taiwanese people. Although our center mainly worked with established artist/curators from abroad, the day-to-day life gave me a glimpse of what it is like to be Taiwanese. Furthermore, because I started work after the Sunflower Movement in Taipei, everyone at the time was very nationalistic and proud of their country, enabling me to see and understand for myself why we all fight so hard to keep our voices heard as artist, curators, or museum directors. I feel truly honored to have had such a great experience.