▎PEOPLE

Marking its third decade of vibrant artistic displays and performances, the 30th NTU Arts Festival concluded on a high note this May. Ever since its inception, the festival has demonstrated the university’s commitment to arts education by bridging campus and society through exhibitions, performances, and public engagements. This year’s milestone edition, themed “Tide: Rise and Fall,” expressed the sense of transformation, rhythm, and renewal that defines not just art but also the times we live in.

The heart of the celebration was “Tide 30,” an ambitious, dynamic landscape project that transformed NTU’s outdoor space into a living canvas. And, the centerpiece of Tide 30, “Tide Pavilion,” a large-scale site-specific installation that invited visitors to reflect on the flows between self and society, community and environment, permanence and change.

What distinguished this year’s edition was the unprecedented scale of collaboration involved. The festival was co-organized by students from universities across northern Taiwan, infusing the NTU campus with fresh vitality and new perspectives. Through its bold, interdisciplinary programming, the Arts Festival once again proved that the university is not just a place of learning but also a laboratory for cultural innovation.

This year’s curatorial vision was strengthened through partnerships with a range of internal and external institutions. Highlights included:

• A satellite exhibition co-hosted with Treasure Hill Artist Village,
• A cross-media collaboration with the NTU Film Festival and emerging student artists exploring social issues through moving images,
• A poignant 3D storytelling series by invited visual artists sharing personal reflections on the festival’s legacy,
• A curated showcase by the NTU Photography Club, capturing the ever-shifting contours of personal growth and identity.

In a bold nod to contemporary technology, the 30th NTU Arts Festival also embraced the rise of AI and digital interactivity. Online components included an Alternate Reality Game (ARG), an AI-generated personality quiz, and an immersive digital exhibition—blurring the boundaries between physical and virtual participation, and expanding both the audience engagement and critical reflection.

As the tides of technology and society continue to shift, the NTU Arts Festival remains a beacon for experimentation, dialogue, and artistic growth. Thirty years on, it continues to shine.