Founded in Tainan in 1992, Corner Culture was a pioneering alternative art space that sought to Established and run by a collective of young artists, this experimental venue nurtured local artistic practices and questioned the established hierarchy of the art world. Between 1992 and 1995, Corner Culture moved their physical space three times—from Chongming Road near the Cultural Center to Minzu Road, and finally to Hai’an Road.

This archive comprises over 600 items, including exhibition records, journals, media coverage, and rare visual materials documenting the evolution of the space. These materials illuminate Corner Culture’s journey from inception to closure, highlighting its role as a site of critical engagement with the geopolitics of Taiwan. Through their artistic practices and reflections, the members interrogated the dynamics of artistic and cultural power in Taiwan.

Historical Notes

Chongming Road Period (April 1992 to February 1993)

In January 1992, Lee Kuen-Lin (李昆霖) and Chuang Hsiu-Hui (莊秀慧), recent graduates of Chinese Culture University in Taipei, returned to their hometown of Tainan, holding solo exhibitions at Boya Art Centre (博雅藝術中心). Inspired by conversations with their university peer Kuo Hsien-Chang (郭憲昌) and encouraged by Sheu Tzu-Kuey (許自貴), a prominent artist affiliated with Up Art Gallery and Go Go Gallery, they resolved to create a self-run space as a counterpoint to Taiwan’s conservative and commercial art scene of the time. On 29 February, 1992, along with four former classmates from Taipei—Hsueh Yung (薛湧), Ho Hsien-Ko (何獻科), Tu Wei (杜偉), and Lai Ying-Tse (賴英澤)—they rented an empty space near the Tainan Cultural Center (臺南市立文化中心), naming it Corner Culture (邊陲文化).

During their student years in Taipei, these young artists drew inspiration from alternative spaces such as Space II and IT Park. The name “Corner Culture” arose from their critical examination of Taiwan’s art environment. They challenged the hierarchy that positioned Taipei as centre, relegating other regions to the periphery. This geographical divide separating centre and periphery reflected deeper inequalities in cultural resources and influence. By embracing the term “periphery” (邊陲), they symbolically opposed mainstream institutions and values. Corner Culture’s goal was to establish an autonomous art space in Tainan to explore and define their creative identities. With a touch of self-deprecating humour, the members even joked about embodying a “peripheral character,” which ultimately influenced the space’s name. Tseng Jo-Yu (曾若愚), an alumnus of the Fine Arts Department at Chinese Culture University, penned the founding manifesto.

The members’ profound reflections on urban conditions, alternative spaces, and artistic practices significantly shaped Corner Culture’s development. They believed that while Taiwan’s art scene revolved around Taipei, the city reflected international trends more than that of Taiwan’s regional characteristics. To avoid being subsumed by the mainstream, they chose to distance themselves from Taipei and return to Tainan, a city with distinct local cultural characteristics. Concurrently, they sought to go beyond the existing understanding of alternative spaces, aiming to create an experimental space where they could freely explore art’s diverse possibilities. Their vision was to offer an alternative to the alternative spaces in Taipei.

Despite this ambitious vision, Corner Culture initially adopted a cooperative model similar to other alternative spaces of the era. Members shared the rent, participated in discussions and decisions regarding the space’s operations, and focused their activities on solo and group exhibitions. These exhibitions became the primary means of expressing Corner Culture’s philosophy and showcased individual members’ creative styles.

On 1 April 1992, Corner Culture officially opened, marking the beginning of an exploratory and experimental phase. Three group exhibitions—the opening exhibition, Cultural Ecology I, and Cultural Ecology II—articulated their interpretation and re-imagination of the periphery—or, as they put it, the “corner.” Simultaneously, solo exhibitions featured more commercially viable paintings to supplement operational costs beyond membership fees. However, after the initial lease expired, the group could no longer afford the increased cost and relocated to artist Tseng Ying-Tung’s (曾英棟) former studio on Minzu Road, which became their new base.

Minzu Road Period (March 1993 to Late 1994)

In March 1993, Corner Culture moved to Minzu Road, where the significantly lower cost of rent alleviated financial pressures. This allowed the members to shift away from market-driven concerns and concentrate on developing their artistic concepts. The unique layout of the new space compelled them to reconsider the interplay between their works and the environment, gradually leading them to experiment with forms such as video, installation art, and mixed media.

During this period, the group’s composition evolved. Lai Ying-Tse and Ho Hsien-Ko left the group due to work pressure and diverging creative philosophies, while Chou Yung-Chung (周永忠), a Chinese Culture University alumnus, joined the collective. The group also welcomed several artists outside the university network, including Chen Chun-Hsiung (陳俊雄), Liao Lun-Kuang (廖倫光), Tang Shou-Nan (唐壽南), Chen Chun-Chieh (陳俊傑), Chang Ho-Min (張和民), and Li San-Mao (Li Ming-Hsien, 李明憲). This influx of diverse perspectives enriched Corner Culture’s approach, fostering a wider range of styles and viewpoints.

The addition of new members emboldened Corner Culture to present more avant-garde thematic exhibitions and gradually move beyond the insular nature of its initial collaborative model, forging stronger connections with the wider art community. While other artists occasionally exhibited with Corner Culture while they were still located at Chongming Road, the relocation to Minzu Road marked a turning point. Corner Culture began accepting artist applications more broadly from non-members, actively collaborated with various cultural and artistic organisations, and promoted their exhibitions in art magazines like Lion Art (雄獅) and Dragon (炎黃). They also organised open-registration reading groups, invited external curators, and visited alternative spaces in other regions, even exploring the possibility of establishing a branch in northern Taiwan. In September 1993, Space II member Hou Chun-Ming (侯俊明) invited Corner Culture to participate in a group show at the Taipei-based space, giving up his own spot. This marked Corner Culture’s first foray into exhibiting outside of Tainan and signified a move towards the “centre” for the first time, serving as an impetus for members to reconsider their approaches to external engagement and exchange.

Hai’an Road Period (April to May 1995)

In late 1994, following the expiration of their lease on Minzu Road and a subsequent rent increase, Corner Culture’s members found an old house on Hai’an Road and renovated it together. This relocation became an opportunity to reassess the space’s identity and direction. During this period, Chen Chun-Hsiung and Chuang Hsiu-Hui left the group due to differences in personal career planning and artistic philosophy, while new members Wang Pang-Jung (王邦榮), Tu Ting-Ting (杜婷婷), and Lee Wei-Mu (李維睦) joined.

On 1 April 1995, Corner Culture, which had long since moved away from their namesake, the Tainan Cultural Center, officially shortened its name to “Corner” (邊陲) and presented an untitled opening group exhibition under the slogan “Corner has moved,” signalling a new chapter and further emphasising their position outside the cultural establishment. This was followed by a solo exhibition by performance artist Tang Huang-Chen (湯皇珍), providing a dynamic launch for the reimagined space.

Tang’s solo exhibition, Stinky River Lover, included spatial installations and a weeklong performance involving the placement of 2,500 paper boats along four routes in Tainan. Nearly half of Corner’s members participated in the production of the paper boats and its documentation. The intensive labour required prompted members to reflect on the pursuit of artistic purity despite demanding efforts, while also highlighting the tension between artistic creation and administrative duties.

Even before this, members had already felt the burden of administrative responsibilities on their own creative practices. Tang Huang-Chen’s unwavering commitment to her artistic vision further led them to question the meaning and sustainability of artist-run spaces in relation to their own creative pursuits. Ultimately, under the combined weight of internal and external pressures, the members decided to conclude Corner Culture’s operations.

In May 1995, Corner Culture held its final exhibition, 1995 Corner, at the Tainan Cultural Center. After the group disbanded, its members dispersed, with most gradually withdrawing from the art world. However, one of the founding members, Lee Kuen-Lin, joined Taipei’s Shin Leh Yuan Art Space in 1997. In 1998, he co-founded Prototype Art Space (原型藝術) in Tainan with a group of young artists, continuing to provide a platform for avant-garde artistic practices in the region.

Scope and Content

The Corner Culture Archive comprises materials preserved by its own members, with the most extensive contributions coming from Lee Kuen-Lin. The archive is organised into ten categories based on the nature of the materials. Notably, its exhibition records are classified into “Group Exhibitions” and “Solo Exhibitions,” reflecting the organisational conventions of Taiwanese commercial galleries. This categorisation presents the artistic trajectories of individual artists and the operational context of the space. Below is an overview of the contents of each folder:

• Group Exhibitions: Thematic joint exhibitions held at Corner Culture from 1992 to 1995, as well as group exhibitions featuring Corner Culture members organised in other spaces under the collective’s name.
• Solo Exhibitions: Solo exhibitions held at Corner Culture from 1992 to 1995, featuring both member and non-member individual artists.
• Journals: Records from members’ working journals, primarily documenting significant events during their exhibition duties. The entries cover 1992, 1993, and 1995; the 1994 journals were lost and are therefore not included. Only dated entries with content have been digitised, undated or blank entries were not processed.
• Member Portfolios: Collections of works by two members, Chou Yung-Chung and Tu Wei, compiled by Lee Kuen-Lin. The materials pertain to exhibitions held by the two members during their time at Corner Culture.
• Clippings: Newspaper and magazine clippings relating to Corner Culture.
• Yearbooks: Compilations by Lee Kuen-Lin of exhibition materials and related news reports from various years of Corner Culture’s activities.
• Business Cards: Business cards printed by Corner Culture.
• Space Exteriors: Photographic records of Corner Culture’s exteriors at its Chongming Road and Hai’an Road locations.
• Administrative Documents: Administrative files relating to the organisation of Corner Culture’s exhibitions, funding applications, meeting minutes, event documentation, and updates for members.
• Visitors’ Books: Two visitors’ books from 1992 to 1994, documenting attendance at exhibitions held at Corner Culture.

Dates (Inclusive)

1992–1995

Languages

Traditional Chinese

Collection Access

Open for research. Onsite-only and restricted materials—including but not limited to correspondence, newspaper clippings, and unpublished writings—are available for consultation at AAA in Hong Kong, New Delhi, and New York. Please submit the Application for Access to Research Collections Form at least five working days in advance.

Collection Use

Subject to all copyright laws. Permission to publish materials must be obtained from copyright owners. Please contact research@aaa.org.hk for further enquiries.

Archival History and Project Team

This collection comprises materials contributed by Corner Culture members Chou Yung-Chung, Chen Chun-Hsiung, Tu Wei, Kuo Hsien-Chang, Chuang Hsiu-Hui, and Lee Kuen-Lin, with authorisation from Lee Kuen-Lin’s wife and daughter, Lee Wan-Ning and Lee Luo-Yi. Its development built upon Ocular Studio’s 2012–15 research project, “The Return of Alternative Spaces: A Study of Early Art Space Development in Tainan—‘Corner Culture.’” Asia Art Archive’s research team subsequently expanded the collection through additional research and digitisation efforts, with Ocular Studio providing digital copies of lost original documents. Archive processing began in March 2023 and concluded in January 2025.

The project team includes Project Researcher Nicole Wang, along with Project Archivists Tammy Ho and Kyo Hsieh.

Acknowledgements

The Corner Culture Archive is part of the Independent Art Spaces of Taiwan project, supported by the Kwang Hwa Information and Culture Center. Special thanks are also extended to Ocular Studio for their generous support.