
life abounds a day beyond eternity
BackgroundALIEN Art CentreA contemporary art museum based in Taiwan, positioned as an East Asian hub for contemporary culture connecting Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Converted from the former Kin-Ma Military Hostel — once used as temporary lodging for Nationalist soldiers during the Cold War — the Centre is rooted in Taiwan while engaging with the world, advancing international understanding and recognition of Asian artistic contexts through curatorial practice.
Its curatorial scope encompasses both applied arts and contemporary art, with a focus on responding to questions of artistic practice while fostering the translation and implementation of original ideas within industry. In terms of public engagement, the museum incorporates experience design centred on well-being, bringing art closer to everyday life and making it more deeply felt.
Director & Curatorial CoreDirector and Chief Curator Yaman Shao leads the curatorial direction, academic research, and educational outreach of ALIEN Art Centre, extending this vision to the exhibitions' visual identity and spatial design. Through an interdisciplinary curatorial approach, she responds to the contemporary by developing exhibitions, public programmes, and collaborative exchanges — enabling the originality of contemporary art to continue unfolding within everyday life.
Her curatorial principles foreground resonance between what is presented and those who encounter it: how visitors enter into the works, how they linger within the site, and how an experience of beauty forms sensory and emotional connections.
Within this framework, the Centre's curatorial core is shaped by the intersection of visual creation, the natural environment, and architectural space as a way of seeing.
This curatorial approach is built on a structure that can be sustained and developed over time:
Space as narrative: Architecture and environment become part of the viewing experience, woven into everyday perception.
Research as context: Starting from art-historical perspectives and contemporary questions, the Centre builds curatorial threads that are traceable and expandable.
Interdisciplinarity to expand perception: Linking art and diverse creative practices opens broader entry points for understanding.
Public participation to deepen resonance: Centring well-being and mindfulness in public programming, making art an accessible and shareable public experience.
Founded by ALIEN ArtALIEN Art is the founding organisation of ALIEN Art Centre. Committed to enriching everyday life through contemporary art and interdisciplinary collaboration, its long-term vision focuses on integrating art, architecture, design, and cultural experience into accessible and sustainable platforms.
Affiliated PlatformsIn addition to ALIEN Art Centre, ALIEN Art has built a network of related platforms to broaden the scope of its cultural activities.
ALIEN MODEA collecting platform rooted in curatorial practice, focused on the relationship between art and everyday life. ALIEN MODE collaborates with art institutions to support artists' long-term creative practice, advancing the translation and implementation of original ideas within industry.
ALIEN ALL DAY LOUNGEA cultural and lifestyle space integrating dining and artistic experience, located on the second floor of ALIEN Art Centre. Nestled against the hillside, the Lounge carries the quiet atmosphere of the building itself — featuring seasonal local ingredients, specialty pour-over coffee, and thoughtfully selected objects, offering a dining experience centred on well-being.
ALIEN SHOPALIEN SHOP extends the exhibition experience into everyday life, with a particular focus on materiality — exploring objects that integrate new materials with cultural heritage and sustainable values.
Visit ALIEN SHOP|
ALIEN SHOPAwards and RecognitionALIEN Art Centre and its associated programmes have received recognition for their contributions to cultural preservation, architectural revitalisation, and contemporary cultural practice: selected as one of Taiwan's Top 100 Cultural Landscapes by Shopping Design; named Kaohsiung's premier contemporary art museum by Lonely Planet; Concept Design Gold Winner at the U.S.-based Muse Design Awards; Gold Award at the Netherlands-based Indigo Design Award; iF Design Award (Germany); and Gold Award in the Concept Design category at the London Design Awards.