I have always believed in the importance of respecting the nature and living in harmony with nature. After all, humans are just one of the animal species and should, therefore, live under the laws of nature and not try to dominate the other species or jeopardize their lives. I am really glad to see this art and design exhibition of Let’s Dance! Animals use recycled and waste materials to awaken our sense of animal protection and preservation. I hope visitors, after seeing this exhibition, can rethink our relations with animals when pursuing economic development. If we all learn to respect the laws of nature, life would be much simpler and beautiful.──The Founder of CHIMEI Museum, Wen-Long Shi

The Founder of CHIMEI Museum, Wen-Long Shi

The Let’s Dance! Animals—Art and Design exhibition organized by the Chimei Museum brought together 23 artists from Taiwan and overseas to create animal-themed artworks incorporating two important elements found both in nature and art: diversity and creativity. This exhibition presented Animalia in the broad sense as a category of living beings: whether laying eggs or giving birth to live young, most feed on organic matter, have nervous systems, receive sensory perceptions, and possess the power of locomotion.

The museum placed five large-scale installations within the compound to highlight the animals’ different habitats. Inside, the exhibition area was divided into four sections—Insects, Fish, Birds, and Mammals—presenting the variety of living beings that crawl, swim, fly, and walk on land. All the presented artworks are the result of deep reflection by the artists and express their concern for animals and the environment. It is hoped that the exhibition will facilitate a dialogue on issues of animal and environmental protection and different species living in harmony.