“KICK OFF! – Opening of the New Taipei City Art Museum Park” now enters the third week, and “Sun Table” is launched today. Nearly a thousand citizens enjoy a picnic on the meadow of the New Taipei City Art Museum (NTCAM) park and appreciate performances by professional groups, local community organizations, and school clubs. New Taipei City Government’s Deputy Secretary-General Kung Yea-Wen and Director-General of the Cultural Affairs Department, Chang Chia-Yu also grace the occasion. Led and assisted by a professional team of chefs, they join the team and citizens for kiln roasting and co-dining on the picnic.

Kung states that the NTCAM park is now open to the public after the completion of the first phase of the construction project as a response to citizens’ expectations, serving as a base for the museum to promote art and establish connections with the audience. Currently, different performances and exhibitions are available for public viewing, including the NTCAM Lab’s Making Circle, which brings together seventeen interdisciplinary groups of artists; New Friends, an immersive, interactive exhibition suitable for parents and children; and public artworks within the park from “By the Left Bank Riverside” project, along with nearly one hundred workshops. Large-scale events, such as the New Taipei City Reading Festival and Drumming Festival, will also be staged at the NTCAM park soon. All citizens are welcome to enjoy the fresh cultural experience, learning and having fun at the same time.

Chang states that the opening event – “Sun Table,” which is held on April 29 and 30, features overtone and drumming performances, and other performances by local groups from New Taipei City. There are multiple sessions of workshops themed on nature, such as “Earth Table” which invites friends and family to cook together, plant dyeing, grass weaving, and painting, together with an Earth-friendly, farm-to-table food market, which invites citizens to go on a picnic and walk through the NTCAM park combing art, ecology, and leisure.

The stage, workshop, and stall designs of “Sun Table” all utilize natural materials, including bamboo and straw, creating a unique atmosphere of nature. “Sun Table” and “Farm Gallery” sections bring together overtone and drum performances, as well as performances by local groups, such as IUooUI, Konkonba Taiwan, Diabolo Walker, Elephant Gym, etc., and student clubs of various schools from New Taipei City, including the indigenous dance club of Yingge Junior High School, the saxophone and drum teams of Yong-Ji Elementary School, the dance clubs of both Yingge Junior High School and Jian-Guo Elementary School.

“Nutrition Boosts” is a dynamic market that includes both workshops and stalls. Revolving around nature-friendly materials, creation, exchange, and learning, groups and artists will host various thematic activities while a professional team of chefs will guide participants through kiln roasting. “Earth Express” is a special market that gathers nearly twenty vendors of food, selected goods, and produce, where visitors can grab food along the way and enjoy a merry picnic time with friends and family, connecting with both nature and art as the sun sets.