Guatemala’s Arte Paiz Biennial Invites Taiwanese Artist Zhang Xu Zhan for the First Time
“Tropical Compendium” Expands Latin American Art Landscape with Paper Figurines and Video Animation
Supported by Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture, Taiwanese artist Zhang Xu Zhan (張徐展) has been officially invited to participate in Guatemala’s Arte Paiz Biennial (Bienal de Arte Paiz) — Central America’s largest contemporary art exhibition. Zhang’s paper figurine animation installation Tropical Compendium will be on view from November 6, 2025, to February 15, 2026, at La Nueva Fábrica, a contemporary art museum located in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Antigua, Guatemala. This marks the first-ever participation of a Taiwanese artist in the Biennial.
Ambassador Chi-Feng Chang of the Embassy of Taiwan in Guatemala poses for a photo with Eugenio Viola, Chief Curator of the 24th Arte Paiz Biennial, in front of Zhang Xu Zhan’s artwork. (Photo courtesy of the Embassy of Taiwan in Guatemala)
Coming from a family that has run Xinxing Paper Art Shop in New Taipei’s Xinzhuang district for over a century, Zhang merges traditional Taiwanese paper-sculpting crafts with experimental animation, installation, and video to explore new visual possibilities. His works use paper-crafting techniques to connect Taiwan’s cultural identity with global artistic narratives.
Inspired by the costumed performances of Taiwanese folk parade troupes, Tropical Compendium reimagines the Southeast Asian folktale “The Mousedeer Crossing the River”. Through a “compound-eye perspective,” Zhang’s film reflects multiple layers of storytelling and perception. The piece won the Golden Horse Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2022. Exhibited in Antigua’s historic setting, the work reinterprets folk memories in a contemporary context, creating a dialogue between tradition and history.
Founded in 1978, the Arte Paiz Biennial is renowned as the sixth oldest biennial in the world. This year’s edition features 37 artists from around the globe, curated by Eugenio Viola, Chief Curator of the Museum of Modern Art in Bogotá, Colombia. Viola, a two-time curator for national pavilions at the Venice Biennale and a 2023 visiting curator in Taiwan, brings a broad vision spanning Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.
Zhang Xu Zhan was invited to participate in the Arte Paiz Biennial in Guatemala, where his paper puppet video animation “Tropical Compounds” and paper-skin spatial installation are exhibited at the La Nueva Fábrica Art Museum. (Photo courtesy of the Embassy of Taiwan in Guatemala)
The 2025 Biennial’s theme, “The Tree of the World,” explores how art connects diverse histories, cultures, and emotional experiences to rebuild understanding in an increasingly divided world. Viola emphasized that the inclusion of Zhang Xu Zhan — in collaboration with the Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles — reflects the Biennial’s mission to showcase multicultural artistic expressions and foster cross-cultural dialogue.
The Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles noted that Latin America’s contemporary art scene has long emphasized cultural context and historical narratives, making it a key hub linking the Global North and South. Inviting a Taiwanese artist for the first time is expected to highlight Taiwan’s emerging creative talents and multicultural innovation.
Given Guatemala’s status as one of Taiwan’s steadfast diplomatic allies, the Embassy of Taiwan in Guatemala has provided full support for the collaboration, aiming to deepen cultural exchange and share Taiwan’s rich humanistic spirit with the Guatemalan public.
For more information about the Biennial, please visit its official website. https://fundacionpaiz.org.gt/bap/
Source: Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles
