“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”
Edgar Degas (French Artist)
Huge four-story high Suicide Squad graffiti-inspired mural by CitiMarx located in Ximending.
Gone are the days when Street art and Graffiti is illegal in Taiwan. The small island has opened its doors to this art and is now a subculture and it is growing. According to HuffPost, Taiwan is one of the best cities in the world to see street art.
Ximending District
Known as the heart of youth culture, Ximending District is a safe haven for the street artist in the cosmopolitan city. A few blocks off the busy street of Ximending district, Taipei Cinema Park is among the legalized zone for a graffiti artist, painters, and street dancers. They are free to express their creativity, display and show their artworks. Only permitted parks and areas are zoned for spray graffiti, thus violators are punishable by law. Unauthorized graffiti will face fines up to NT$6,000 (US$190).
The “graffiti areas” are managed and handled by a team and murals are up for a fair amount of time. They are the Taipei Alliance for the Advancement of Multi Art Culture Youth Center. So be sure to check for new artworks every now and then.
I managed to take some photos in the area and luckily, few people are around the park at that time. I absolutely love this place, local and foreign artist had marked their presence in the city. The city walls and alleyways are becoming their personal canvases and are becoming a tourist and instagramable spot.
Here are some of my favorite graffiti in the area. Enjoy!
Meet Mardi, the famous baby dressed in a rabbit costume by graffiti artist Alex Face (Patcharapol Tangruen) from Thailand. According to Alex, the third eye in his artwork represents another dimension “it’s something that we can feel but can’t see with two eyes so I add the third eye which can see what we can’t”.
“Art can help calm people, including those who create it. I’m always frustrated every time I have to face selfish people in the city. But graffiti helps me relax as I can release my feelings and regain my optimism through the nice people I meet.” – Alex Face
“The Spaceship Slaying Dragon” Artwork by Facter & Fleks.
Urban Hip Hop Culture graffiti by @35artstudio led by famous Spanish artist Alberto Parron (Madrid). Commit To Win. Bold colors and geometric shapes mural by Taiwanese graffiti artist Bounce. This huge artwork is located at the Jordan Ximending Store in front of the Red House Theater.
Amazing graffiti mural tribute to Kyrie Irving by CitiMarx. CitiMarx is a group of local and international graffiti artist based in Taipei.
How to get there:
Taipei Cinema Park
Ximen MRT Exit 6.
No. 19, Kangding Rd, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108
By the way, leave a comment if you happen to know the artist/s name of these amazing artworks. Credit must be rightfully served. Thanks!
Huge four-story high Suicide Squad graffiti-inspired mural by CitiMarx located in Ximending.
