There is an artist village in the New Taipei City where along the north-west direction of Tamsui District, a place named Xiaguirou mountain. The place worked with several artists starting from artists Lin shuen long, Yang Shih-chih and Yang Jen-Ming at 2000. When artist Chang Ling returned to Taiwan from France, Lin was looking for a place to set-up a studio. Chang showed him around an abandoned place in Xiaguirou mountain.
It was a ceramic factory originally, own by Chang’s eldership. The place did not run for a long time, Chang said that the ceramic was piled up as high as a mountain. The landlord agreed to rent the place to more artists, as a result TSAI Yi-Ju, Chiu Chao-Tsai, JHONG Jiang-ze and Tsui Hui-Yu moved in in succession.
Today, the artists live inside the tin house. Not gorgeous and fantasy, the artists are also struggling with space and economic conditions, they are facing the same problem as everyone does. Artists Isa Ho, Chou Chen, Gilles Lan and Jorge Rivera are residence here, they are going to share their life inside this artist village.
The room of Isa Ho was hold by Yang Jen-Ming at first. Ho would come to visit or help, after that she stayed here unexpectedly for almost 20 years. The landlord is very supportive to them, rent the place to them in a low price. Chou Chen said when he first came, there were lots of rubbish and no wall between the space. He used a period to clean the studio. Gilles Lan and Jorge Rivera came for a larger space for create as it is always limited in urban city. Rivera even waited for two and a half year for empty space.
Xiaguirou Artist Village II www.yicollecta.com/zh/articles/159
Photo 1：Artist Jorge Rivera(left) and Interview assistant of YiCOLLECTA Mallorie Hsu.
Photo 2：Top Left studio of Isa Ho，middle left studio of Chou Chen，Left bottom Artists，Top right Chang Ling's new studio，rmiddle right studio of Chou Chen，right bottom, corner of Xiaguirou Artist Village
