Taiwan’s Arcade Gallery Gets Sent into Space with a New Skin by Orbita

Based in the port metropolis of Kaohsiung City in Taiwan, the Arcade Art Gallery is one of the region’s prominent promoters of graffiti and street art. Work by artists like Vhils, Okuda, Sliks and Paola Delfin has graced its walls, and curator José Enrique Montes Hernandez is just as active when it comes to securing mural projects in the country.

When MTN News recently spotted a complete facelift for the gallery, we had to get in touch with Montes and Orbita to analyse the national scene and give us some background to the multidimensional mural.

For anyone who doesn’t follow Arcade Gallery, can you tell us a little about the project? 

Montes: We started the gallery back in 2016.  After years of working in different galleries in Canada, I came to Asia for an extended vacation and had a base in Taiwan. I really quickly noticed there was a major lack of proper representation for graffiti and street art in Taiwan but some real talent around. So I started the gallery with the intent of providing a platform and we began doing exhibitions and curating murals in the city.

What’s the graffiti and street art scene like in Taiwan? 

M: The graffiti scene is alive and well, thanks to guys like Dabs1, Same, Fleks, Seazk, Fast, Orbita, Debe etc… They keep the culture alive, and definitely inspire young, new cats to hit the streets. 

As for the more official street art scene, it’s actually been supported by government subsidies. Local governments have embraced street art in the last few years and have supported Arcade’s efforts to host international artists and create dozens of murals throughout Southern Taiwan.

How did you decide on Orbita to produce the new skin for the building? 

M: Orbita was an easy choice for this project.  He’s really established himself in Taiwan and has been pushing boundaries for sure.  We wanted to give the opportunity to challenge himself by doing something on a large scale and to leave his mark permanently on a local community. 

What has the reaction been like from the local residents? 

M: The residents have welcomed Arcade and the artists with open arms.  They have been really interested in the cultural exchange and are curious about our point of view. They've been so happy to see Orbita – a young, talented artist – working 12+ hours a day to improve their homes and they are really proud of their community. 

Completing projects like this is always so rewarding, it’s the permanent link, that exchange, between the visiting artists and the local residents, that’s what we thrive on.  

Orbita, you’re used to working on 2D surfaces, how hard was it to adapt your vision to this building? 

Orbita: I’ve been creating 3D style pieces on 2D walls for many years. When Arcade Art Gallery came to me with this building, I sat down with a picture of it and the design came together naturally. 

The architecture inspired me, so I played with the dimensions, and was able to use them to facilitate the 3D aspects of my design. The only partly difficulty aspect was painting parts of the surface which were uncomfortable to get to, especially in the blazing heat of summer in Taiwan.

What Montana Colors products were used for the project? 

O: I used Montana 94 for the entire building.

What does the finished design represent? 

O: The final design is my version of a space station. I’ve incorporated the 3D version of my tag as the central structure which supports and fuels the rocket. The rocket is a representation of the inspiration required to strive for and achieve your dreams. It’s also a tribute to the human desire to travel and understand the universe.

Find out about Arcade Artists and upcoming shows via their website. 

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