The Taiyuan Asian Puppet Theatre Museum is a world-renowned puppet theatre museum in Taiwan. It aims to preserve and promote Taiwan and Asian puppet culture both at home and abroad, shaping Taiwan as the Asian puppetry art centre, while fostering interaction between local and international puppet troupes. It houses more than 10,000 puppet theater items from around the world, including glove, shadow, string and water puppets.
It is in this spirit of promotion, that The Taiyuan Asian Puppet Theatre Museum, in conjunction with Iziko Museums of South Africa, will be holding an exhibition entitled “The Magic of Asian Theatre Puppets – Beauties, Heroes, Villains, Gods and Clowns” at the South Africa National Gallery (Government Avenue, Company's Garden, Cape Town) from the 14th of May to the 31st of July 2017.
This exhibition will showcase more than 150 pieces of classic Asian puppetry artifacts which have survived the centuries, during which the puppet theatre has been a veritable living encyclopedia of Asian life and culture, and is the first exhibition of its kind to be held in Africa. In addition to the exhibition, there will also be a series of interesting and informative lectures, workshops and other activities that the whole family can participate in.
The Taiyuan Asian Puppet Theatre Museum has held more than 50 puppet performances in various parts of Taiwan and many other countries, including the United States, Canada, Netherlands, France, Germany, Denmark, Turkey, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia to name but a few, in the hopes that international audiences can understand Taiwan's respect for culture and the importance of preservation while sharing the beauty of Taiwan and the art of Asian puppetry.
Please contact Hayden Proud on telephone number: 021 481 3965 or email hproud@iziko.org.za for further information.
