In order to address the Taiwanese contemporary art scene and its recent development, I will briefly discuss the social-political historical background of Taiwan and its economics. The end of martial law in 1987 was an important turning point in the development of Taiwan's contemporary culture. The changes in the local political climate had a drastic impact on cultural delivery throughout the nation. This resulted in new liberties from curfews and media blackouts being lifted. These actions, opened Taiwanese society creating an atmosphere where diverse values and opinions could be expressed. These transitions were significant in all realms from the political to the financial and cultural sectors. In this new climate, Taiwan attempted to break away from traditional values imposed earlier under martial law in order to free itself of the past and build upon new cultural identities. In this spirit, Taiwan's contemporary art scene grew from the early to mid 90's in light of these new reforms.

In this context, politically and socially critical artworks were produced reflecting the social complexes that were happening concurrently to all these activities. Indeed, Taiwan's transformation from a state facing embargo to an open economic and social power impacted all of its residents. International influences in the form of trade partners and knowledge brokers changed how Taiwan perceived and considered itself both locally and nationally.

All of these elements from local histories to newly imposed cultural values from foreign entities formed a new binary of social reflection in Taiwanese contemporary art. To illustrate these concepts, I will reflect on my role as the invited Taiwanese curator from last year's Taipei Biennial. I will also further comment on the progress of the proceeding biennials starting from 1998 to present. In comprehending Taiwanese art there are two phenomena that must be realized. These phenomena include concepts of globalization that must be considered in relationship to values and concepts originating from the local.

To note, Taiwan was not alone in facing new social and cultural ideologies tied to political events. The fall of the Berlin Wall coincided with activities and protests happening a continent away in China. Who can forget Tianman square or several years later the collapse of the Soviet Union? Each political event in each of these nations left a legacy that like Taiwan created new cultural geographies and definitions for itself. Additionally unlike any era before all of these events were broadcast and available to the global community through various forms of media delivery. While the global market place was receiving news about Taiwan through various communication platforms, Taiwan was actively participating in this market by supplying the technological platforms from which it assessed the country. This symbosis perpetuated Taiwan into an unique state where it helped to define new media technologies globally and benefited economically from such world commerce. This effect was two-fold where firstly, the global economy determined the pace of Taiwanese economic growth, and lastly it shifted the country's outlook about itself in relation to other nations. By the mid-90s, Taiwan was tied to global markets, and it was impossible to return to a closed socio-political system offered from the past. Likewise as the Taiwanese and Asian economy gained new influential powers, each of these nations too realized there presence within the global economy could impact impacted the health and stability of the global market place. All of these events gave Taiwan renewed confidence and self-awareness which becomes apparent in the work and attitudes of materials produced after the 1990s.

Indeed with the end of martial law in July 1987, Taiwanese residents sought to reflect on their own experiences. These ideas came flooding to the foreground after having been suppressed for nearly 40 years. This new appetite to redefine the self is expressed in Chinese language as "localization". What this means though in English can be better explained by suggesting the Taiwanese wanted to reflect on their own definition of the self in relation to the past to new cultural and world economic structures. Particularly, Taiwan's emergence as an economic and global trade power placed its residents into a new mode of cultural transformation. In the late 1980s and into the mid 1990s, Taiwanese society faced economic assimilation, wherein Taiwanese citizens became concerned with addressing trade as its foremost national concern. In the nation these new interests from industrialization to social structures changed, both the landscape and placement of the working class.