Reunion at the Courtyard - Group exhibition
「相逢在庭前」緣起於張李德和（1893–1972）久違重現的膠彩畫《庭前所見》。張李德和是嘉義重要的詩人、畫家與文化推手，本展以「花園雅集」與「當代沙龍」兩大篇章，交織傳統文獻與當代藝術。
「花園雅集」聚焦畫作重現與修復，由《庭前所見》看見張李德和的藝術成就與畫史意義，透過書畫文獻，召喚她作為沙龍女主人的身影，呼應嘉義「畫都」文化精神。「當代沙龍」邀集八位藝術家與作家，從水墨書法、嘉義地景、畫作重現、家族記憶、後設史觀與母職經驗等面向，開啟對歷史今昔的追索與對時代的想像。
「相逢在庭前」既是原作與畫稿的重逢，也是時間、空間與人物的交會，回望1920年代張李德和開放花園客廳、助力「畫都」興起的歷史片段，也思索其公共性如何改寫一座城市的文化記憶。
展期｜2025.11.07 — 2026.03.01
時間｜週二至週日09：00 — 17：00（週一休館）
展場｜嘉義市立美術館1 — 3樓
Reunion at the Courtyard originates from the rediscovery of a long-unseen nihonga painting titled What Is Seen Before the Courtyard (庭前所見). The artist, Chang Li Te-ho 張禮德和 (1893–1972), was a prominent poet, painter, patron, philanthropist, and political figure in Chiayi. The reappearance of this work not only reopens discussions surrounding its historical and cultural context but also invites viewers to revisit Chang Li Te-ho’s life and her pivotal role in shaping the flourishing art and cultural scene of Chiayi during the Japanese colonial period.
The exhibition further connects to contemporary art, engaging with reflections on gender, identity, and the public sphere. It seeks to open new ways of seeing and interpreting between Taiwanese art history and contemporary perspectives.
Rather than following a linear chronology, the exhibition constructs a spatial dialogue that juxtaposes and intertwines two chapters—“The Garden Gathering” and “The Contemporary Salon.” The Garden Gathering, located on the first floor, centres on the restoration and reappearance of What Is Seen Before the Courtyard. It highlights Chang Li Te-ho’s artistic achievements and art-historical significance, while archival materials on painting and calligraphy reveal how her garden salon became a hub that fostered artistic exchange and embodied the cultural spirit of Chiayi as a “City of Painters.”
The Contemporary Salon brings together eight artists and writers—Lu Ming-Chi, Karol Lai , Hou I-Ting, Mia Liu , Kao Ya-Ting, Peihang Benoit, Kuo Yu-Ping, and Chen Han-Sheng—to explore themes including ink and calligraphy, Chiayi’s landscape, historical memory, and maternal experience. Through these dialogues, the exhibition traces the intersections between past and present while imagining the spirit of our time.
Encounter in the Courtyard is both a reunion between the original painting and its preparatory sketch, and a convergence of time, space, and people. Through this historical reflection—moving from the garden gathering to the salon—the exhibition revisits Chang Li Te-ho’s vision in the 1920s: opening her garden to the public, cultivating artistic vitality, and contributing to the rise of Chiayi as a centre of art. It invites us to reconsider how the public nature of art can rewrite a city’s cultural memory.
Exhibition Dates｜ 7 November 2025 – 1 March 2026
Hours｜ Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Closed on Mondays)
Venue｜ Chiayi Art Museum, 1F–3F
No. 101號, Guangning St, West District, Chiayi City, Taiwan 600