Hsinchu's Glass Art Fesrival
Glass Swaying in the Wind– Hsinchu’s Glass Culture
Glass is an essential part of Hsinchu’s local culture, and the International Glass Art Festival, held every two years, is a major global event for glass artists worldwide!
To revitalize the local glass industry, integrate regional culture, and boost tourism, the government launched the International Glass Art Festival in 1995. In 2024, the Hsinchu Glass Art Festival celebrated its 14th edition, with the government once again hosting this grand event.
Hsinchu International Glass Art Festival Timeline
This prestigious festival continues to showcase Hsinchu’s glass artistry, bringing together innovation, craftsmanship, and culture, while reinforcing the city’s reputation as a hub for global glass art.
1995 – International Joint Exhibition
The first Hsinchu International Glass Art Festival was held in 1995.
In the International Exhibition, a total of 45 modern glass art pieces from 12 countries across Europe and America were showcased, representing the global creative styles of glass art at that time.
For the Outdoor Installation Exhibition, Professor Herb Babcock, Director of the Center for Creative Studies at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, USA, led the design. Inspired by Hsinchu’s iconic imagery of “bamboo swaying in the wind”, the installation was named "Endless Vitality", symbolizing the limitless potential of Hsinchu City.
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1999 – International Joint Exhibition
In 1999, the exhibition was centered on the newly established Hsinchu Glass Craft Museum as the main venue, accompanied by three sub-venues: the Neon Art Hall, Perfume Paperweight Hall, and Italian Style Hall. Many renowned glass artists from Taiwan and around the world were invited to showcase their stunning works.
The festival also featured dynamic performances, including music, theater, and dance, along with the promotional activities. The ultimate goal was to promote and educate the public about Hsinchu’s glass industry, inspiring more creators to enter the world of glass art.
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2001 – Theme: The Wind Moves the Glass
In 2001, the Glass Art Festival featured three themed exhibition halls:
▪︎The Glass Craft Hall – Showcased Golden Glass Award-winning pieces and masterpieces by renowned glass artists from Taiwan and abroad.
▪︎The Nordic Style Hall – Designed with large-scale art installations inspired by Scandinavian aesthetics.
▪︎The Mosaic Hall – Focused on mosaic techniques, displaying the brilliant and intricate beauty of mosaic glass art.
In addition to exhibitions, the festival introduced interactive activities, including parent-child workshops and DIY glass crafting, allowing visitors to not only appreciate glass art with their eyes but also experience the glass-making process firsthand.
A Glass Art Academic Conference was also held, inviting seven scholars from Taiwan and overseas to discuss "Creative Glass Design and Market Strategies."
Starting this year, the Glass Art Festival was officially organized by the Hsinchu Glass Craft Museum, opening new possibilities for the future of the glass industry.
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2003 – Theme: New Glass Cinderella
In 2003, the International Glass Art Festival was named after the well-known movie Frozen at the time. With the theme "New Glass Cinderella", the festival used the imagery of Cinderella’s glass slipper to symbolize the dreamy, sparkling hope and future of glass art.
The 64-day event, spanning across Christmas, New Year’s Day, and the Lunar New Year, featured multiple exhibition halls, including:
▪︎The International Hall
▪︎The Glass Bead Hall
▪︎The Glass Animal Hall
▪︎The Sister Cities Hall, showcasing glass artworks from the U.S., Japan, Australia, and Chiayi City
Hundreds of glass art pieces from Taiwan and abroad were displayed, alongside various engaging activities such as a glass art symposium, live performances, a “Modern Cinderella” contest, and glass-making demonstrations.
A magnificent glass-crafted castle and pumpkin carriage were specially designed for the festival, allowing visitors to wander through a shimmering glass fairy tale world.
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2006 – Theme: Alice in Glass Wonderland
In 2006, the Hsinchu International Glass Art Festival was themed "Alice’s Journey in the Glass Flower City." Combining romantic floral designs with a dreamy fairy tale setting, the festival created a dazzling, crystal-like glass city filled with flowers.
The event featured three major themed exhibition halls:
▪︎The Glass Craft Museum – Included three exhibition areas showcasing the International Glass Art Exhibition, Taiwan Masters’ Invitational Exhibition, and Glass Floral Art Exhibition, allowing visitors to admire the latest glass art creations from both local and international artists.
▪︎The Glass Flower Hall – Located at Hsinchu’s Old Weather Station, this hall used glass installation art to create a three-dimensional glass garden, offering visitors an immersive experience in a world of glimmering glass flowers.
▪︎The Industrial Technology Hall – Hosted at the former Chung Hwa Broadcasting Station, this venue was divided into three sections: the Technology & Art Zone, Industrial Art Zone, and Creative Living Zone. It highlighted the fusion of glass technology with everyday life, helping visitors understand both the practicality and creativity of glass innovations.
This festival transformed Hsinchu into a magical glass wonderland, where art, technology, and fantasy blended seamlessly together.
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2008 – Theme: The Little Mermaid in Glass Fairyland
In 2008, the International Glass Art Festival was named after the popular movie The Mermaid. With the theme “The Mermaid’s Journey Through the Glass Wonderland”, the festival combined fairy tale elements with Hsinchu’s 17-kilometer coastal scenic area, merging glass art with tourism to create a stunning visual experience of Hsinchu City.
The exhibition was divided into four themed halls:
▪︎The International Glass Art Exhibition – Showcased masterpieces from world-renowned glass artists, fostering international exchanges in glass craftsmanship.
▪︎The Mermaid Hall – Designed as a mystical glass wonderland, using fabric drapery and installation art to create an enchanting underwater atmosphere.
▪︎The Glass Industry Marketing Hall – Focused on the development of the glass industry, providing local businesses opportunities to expand into international markets.
▪︎The Taiwan Masters’ Invitational Exhibition – Invited local and Hsinchu-based artists to present handcrafted artistic glass creations, highlighting unique techniques and creative styles.
In addition to exhibitions, the festival featured live demonstrations and performances, including glass workshop showcases, family-friendly activities, art and cultural performances, and a Glass Art Street. This festival blended creativity with culture, offering a space for professional glass artists to express their artistry while providing the public with a captivating aesthetic experience.
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2010 – Theme: Beauty
The 2010 International Glass Art Festival was centered around culture, technology, art, and beauty, featuring six exhibition halls, one themed street, and twelve special topics. The festival showcased a diverse range of glass art, including:
▪︎A grand exhibition of renowned local and international artists
▪︎The Glass Technology & Art Exhibition
▪︎The Glass Art Creativity Exhibition
▪︎The International Glass Art Creation Forum
▪︎Live demonstrations by master glass artists
▪︎Interactive activities such as family-friendly explorations and DIY experiences
▪︎A Light and Glass Film Festival, highlighting the fusion of glass, light, and motion
By hosting a variety of cultural and artistic events, the festival aimed to further promote and expand both the biennial International Glass Art Festival and local artistic endeavors. It also sought to drive industry development, attracting more people to discover the beauty of Hsinchu’s glass art.
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2012 – Theme: Happiness & Technology
The 2012 International Glass Art Festival was centered around the themes of happiness, beauty, technology, and art. The festival invited renowned glass artists from various countries, including Germany and Italy, to showcase diverse glass creations from different cultural backgrounds.
One of the featured artists was German designer Elena Manta, who used glass bending techniques to transform colored flat glass into creative and aesthetically pleasing household items that were both practical and artistic.
Additionally, the festival exhibited a variety of crystal glass artworks and contemporary glass art pieces, offering visitors a glimpse into the innovative possibilities of modern glass craftsmanship.
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2014 – Theme: Fantasy
The 2014 International Glass Art Festival was curated with the theme of "Fantasy," aiming to evoke deep emotions through visually immersive experiences. By incorporating storytelling marketing, the exhibition highlighted the rich heritage of glass art, elevating local artists and the city's brand onto the international stage.
Glass, with its brilliant transparency and dazzling colors, became the perfect medium to create a mesmerizing visual spectacle. Utilizing the refraction of light and ever-changing hues, the exhibition offered visitors a magical and surreal sensory experience.
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2016 – Theme: Raise Your Glass
The 2016 Hsinchu International Glass Art Festival coincided with the 100th anniversary of Hsinchu Park. To celebrate this historic milestone and showcase a century of Hsinchu’s cultural heritage, the festival was themed "Raise Your Glass", inviting renowned glass artists from Taiwan and around the world to join in the grand celebration of the park’s centennial.
By integrating local cultural energy with revitalized industries, the festival used diverse and dynamic exhibitions and performances to promote international exchange and further elevate Hsinchu’s glass artistry on the global stage.
This year’s theme focused on glass cups, inviting top glass artists to create exquisite glassware that highlighted the beauty of everyday life. With over 200 stunning works on display, visitors had the rare opportunity to experience the world’s finest glass craftsmanship all in one place.
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2018 – Theme: Light Driving
The 2018 Hsinchu Glass Design and Art Festival was themed "Light-Driving," a concept that, in physics, refers to energy driven by light. For the first time, the festival introduced the element of “design” into glass art, aiming to bridge traditional glassmaking with contemporary creative industries.
By collaborating with outstanding designers and artists across various creative fields, the exhibition sought to redefine the relationship between Hsinchu’s traditional glass industry and modern innovation. Instead of a conventional display, the exhibition was envisioned as a "container of Hsinchu’s culture," showcasing glass as a medium that connects local life, heritage, and craftsmanship.
Through glass, the festival linked local factories, businesses, agriculture, forestry, and regional landscapes, creating a vibrant celebration of design and artistry, uniquely presented in Hsinchu.
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2020 – Theme: Posture of Transparency
The 2020 Hsinchu International Glass Art Festival was themed "Posture of Transparency," exploring the various forms and expressions of glass. By employing deconstruction, creative craftsmanship, and personal interpretation, the exhibition revisited the intrinsic clarity and versatility of glass, enriching its definition and texture from multiple perspectives.
At the same time, the festival served as the most transparent medium to reflect Hsinchu’s local glass industry, history, culture, and collective memory. Through the shimmering reflections of glass, visitors were invited to discover the deep cultural richness and aesthetic beauty of the city.
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2022 – Theme: GLASS PEDIA
In 2022, the United Nations declared it the International Year of Glass, recognizing the significance of glass in human civilization. In response, the Hsinchu Glass Design and Art Festival adopted the theme "GLASS PEDIA", focusing entirely on glass itself. The exhibition explored the endless possibilities of glass across various fields, including design, urban development, daily life, culture, art, and technology.
The festival showcased the achievements of multiple Hsinchu glass industries, demonstrating the ever-evolving vitality of the city’s glass craftsmanship. With new elements infused into the rich legacy built by past generations, the goal was to ensure that Hsinchu’s glass industry continues to shine and thrive into the future.
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2024 – Theme: Brilliant Silicon Elegance
The 2024 International Glass Art Festival is centered around the concepts of addition, subtraction, emptiness, reality, flow, and transformation, with the theme "Brilliant Silicon Elegance." This theme highlights the crystal-clear, vibrant, and diverse characteristics of glass, celebrating the relentless pursuit of excellence by glass artists throughout their creative journeys.
The festival delicately showcases the intricate craftsmanship behind glassmaking, demonstrating how figurative and abstract forms, two-dimensional and three-dimensional structures, transparency and opacity can all be expressed through points, lines, surfaces, and spatial depth, creating a rich and diverse visual experience.
This year's Glass Craft Exchange Exhibition brings together artists from around the world, unveiling the infinite possibilities of glass art and fostering international artistic dialogue.
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