As the opening exhibition of Mind Set Art Center’s new space, “The Road Not Taken” reflects our passion for and ideals of art in the past six years. It also maps out an exploratory course collectively formed by the operational team, artists and collectors with our adventurous attitude and steadfast progress.
It has been six years since Mind Set Art Center established its art consulting office on Xingshan Road, Nehu District, Taipei in April, 2010. During the one and a half years in Nehu, the organization operated as an art consulting agency offering services catered to specific collectors while undertaking commissions for curatorial projects of exhibitions. This was the time of Mind Set Art Center 1.0. In October, 2011, MSAC was fortunate to move into Xinsheng 16 Conception Space, and started our four and a half years there with Shi Jin Hua’s Solo Exhibition, “Passing through a Year”. Despite continuing the art consulting service as it began with, Mind Set Art Center took up the role of a gallery due to the need of operating the space. In November, 2015, Mind Set Art Center was officially selected to participate in Artissima, one of the most prominent international art fairs, marking an important recognition from the international art scene for its 2.0 stage. The farewell exhibition at Xinsheng 16, “Dairy of Sulfur Mining – Pataauw” by Yu Ji, had filled our audience’s heart with warmth during the coldest days in Taipei in the past fifty years, and served as the perfect ending for the second stage of Mind Set Art Center.
In the spring of 2016, Mind Set Art Center officially moved into the new space on Heping East Road, Taipei, and welcomed the arrival of its 3.0. For the first and second stages of the organization operation, we are tremendously grateful for many people’s assistance in terms of the provision of space and our operation, which has helped us to stand firm during the adventure of seeking our ideals. In the following days, we know the only way to really create a unique and professional platform of contemporary art through the expansion of space and exchange is for our team to connect and collaborate with others, to make more effort in promoting our artists internationally, and to bring in more international collectors and professional curatorial resources. Thus, we will begin a new era, which the entire team will go the distance and fulfill the responsibilities.
I often looked back on the journey that Mind Set Art Center has taken and reflected whether our existence has offered fresh meaning or different value to the industry of contemporary art in Taiwan in the past six years. I would not have chosen the road of starting my own business and known the precipitous risks and enchanting landscape along the road if I had not maken up my mind to create an utopian art platform. I firmly believe that I would make the same decision again if I were given a second chance. This echoes the paths taken by the artists participating in “The Road Not Taken”, whose persistence in artistic creation is solely for realizing the original longing for art and beauty in the very recess of their minds.