Archaeology & Contemp. Iron Art: Liu Po-Chun @ Thirteen Hong Museum

In 2022, Professor Liu Po-Chun, known for his long-standing engagement with steel as a creative medium, was invited to exhibit at the Thirteen Hong Museum. * Drawing on the site’s rich history of iron-making culture, Liu approached the exhibition from an archaeological perspective. Through his process, he explored materials, tools, and smelting techniques, while also engaging with the site’s spiritual resonance. Reinterpreting Iron Age culture through the lens of contemporary life, Liu reflects on the social dynamics of technological development and evokes a profound sense of time and space extending into the unknown universe. Within this fusion of past and future, his works construct a visionary landscape—where intertwined civilizations and prophetic imagery reveal Liu’s distinctive creative approach and aesthetic insight into the expressive potential of steel.

* The Thirteen Hong Museum is located in the Bali District of New Taipei City, within the Thirteen Hong Cultural Relics site. Dating back to the Iron Age in northern Taiwan—approximately 1,800 to 500 years ago—it represents the only confirmed evidence of ancient iron-smelting technology in the region. As Taiwan’s first archaeological museum, the site holds exceptional historical and cultural significance, offering a rare glimpse into the island’s early metallurgical heritage.

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About Artist

Liu Po-Chun was born in Taiwan in 1963, and is one of the representative figures among the mid-generation sculptors. He obtained his MFA in Sculpture from École Nationale Supérieux des Beaux Arts, Paris, France, and is currently a professor of the Department of Sculpture and the dean of the Fine Art College, National Taiwan University of Arts. He has won innumerous prizes and awards, including prestigious awards in Taiwan such as the Wu San-Lien Arts and Culture Award and the Sun Yat-sen Award for Arts and Literature. He has been invited for exhibitions in Italy, Hungary, Romania, China, Japan, and Korea.

After more than a decade of studying carving, molding, and clay sculpture, Liu had possessed strong sculptural techniques. His five-year study in France later enabled him to have a systematic training in theory and sculpture history, giving him a comprehensive understanding of and insights into sculpture. His early works were mostly of molding that demonstrated his carving, molding, and casting skills. He is known for his metal sculpture in recent years. His works of steel forests and heroes guide the audience to contemplate on the so-called ideal nature and man. In concrete forms, his contemporary sculptures convey diversified meanings.

About FOAD Lecture Series : International Edition

The Faculty of Art & Design (FOAD) presents the FOAD Lecture Series: International Edition, connecting students and the public with leading voices from the creative industries. Through inspiring talks, the series explores innovative art and design practices, emerging trends, and real-world creative insights. It encourages interdisciplinary dialogue, sparks fresh ideas, and bridges academic learning with the wider world of creativity.

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