Hualien International Stone Sculpture Festival – Call for Entries

I Purpose

The 2026 Hualien International Stone Sculpture Festival marks its 32nd anniversary, representing an important milestone in the evolution of Taiwan’s public sculpture and the cultural landscape of eastern Taiwan.

This year’s theme, “Beneath the Skin of the Earth: Fissures, Traces, and Rebirth,” draws inspiration from the veining, fissures, and fault lines of stone, exploring the relationship between perception and time, the body and the landscape, and artistic creation and the land.

Stone from Hualien is like the skin of the earth. Shaped by weathering and carving, it bears the imprints of both nature and civilization. Fissures and fault lines are not only reminders of the land’s past wounds but also the starting point of renewal and resilience.

Artists are warmly invited to look beyond the weight of disaster and transform scars into a force that reaches toward the light. Through their works, they are encouraged to express healing, inclusiveness, transformation, and an enduring hope for the future, allowing sculpture to become a symbol of solace and hope for the land while harmoniously integrating with the surrounding landscape and built environment.

Through the Hualien International Stone Sculpture Symposium, the organizers aim to provide a platform for stone sculpture that embraces both local character and an international perspective. By promoting international artistic and cultural exchange, the Symposium also seeks to open new interdisciplinary and diverse possibilities for the future development of contemporary stone sculpture in Taiwan.

II Organizers

  1. Organizers: Hualien County Government / East Rift Valley National Scenic Area Administration, Tourism Administration
  2. Host Organization: Hualien County Cultural Affairs Bureau.
  3. Executive Organizer: Vision Chilai Creative Co, Ltd.

III Application Period

Applications are open from the date of announcement until 12:00 noon (Taiwan Time, GMT+8) on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.  Late applications or incomplete submissions will not be accepted for review.

IV Eligibility

Open to artists with independent experience in creating large-scale outdoor stone sculptures.

V Artistic Media

Stone must be the primary medium. Other materials may be incorporated as supplementary elements.

All works must meet the requirements for permanent outdoor installation, including public safety, structural stability, weather resistance, long-term durability, and ease of maintenance.

VI Artwork Dimensions

Entries may consist of either a single sculpture or a multi-piece installation.  To ensure sufficient visual presence and landmark quality, the completed work must measure at least 2 meters in height or width.

VII Implementation

  1. Public Selection: Nine artists will be selected, along with two alternate artists.
  2. Event Period: October 27 to November 30, 2026 (35 days), encompassing cultural exchange activities, opening and closing ceremonies, on-site creation, and scheduled rest days.
  3. Creation Venue: Hualien County Cultural Affairs Bureau Campus.
  4. Working Method: All artworks shall be created on site in an outdoor setting, and the entire creative process will be open to the public.
  5. Tools and Equipment
    1. Artists are responsible for providing their own personal tools.
    2. The organizers will provide the following for on-site creation:Air compressors, Water and electricity, Work tents, Work tables and chairs, Portable lighting, Scaffolding, Stone lifting and handling equipment
  6. Stone MaterialsThe organizers will provide stone materials, including marble, serpentinite, Aurora, and granite. Stone types other than those listed above will not be provided.Each artist will be provided with the stone block(s) measuring up to 2.5 × 1.2 × 1.0 meters (3 cubic meters). If the proposed artwork exceeds the dimensions of a single stone block, it must be constructed as a multi-piece work.
  7. Mixed Media:If other mixed media are used, artists are responsible for supplying and completing all such materials, and the organizers will reimburse material costs up to NT$10,000, based on actual expenses.
  8. Artwork Ownership
    1. Artists retain the moral rights to their works.
    2. Ownership of the completed large-scale artworks belongs to the organizers.
    3. Artists grant the organizers the copyrights to the artworks, including the rights to photograph, film, publish, promote, and digitally display the pieces without limitation as to territory, duration, or frequency.
  9. Accompanying Person:Each artist may be accompanied by one person (an assistant or family member). During the event, the organizers will provide meals and shared twin-room accommodation for both the artist and the accompanying person. The artist is responsible for all round-trip transportation expenses for both themselves and their accompanying person.

VIII Application Procedures

A two-stage review process will be conducted, consisting of a Preliminary Review and a Final Review.

  1. Preliminary Review
    1. Applications must be submitted online through the 2026 Hualien International Stone Sculpture Symposium website: https://hualien-symposium.hlctw.com/
    2. Required Materials
      1. Personal information
      2. Artwork concept sketch
      3. Portfolio of three previous works
      4. Signed Declaration
    3. Application materials must be prepared in either Chinese or English, and incomplete applications will not be accepted.
    4. Upload file requirements: Each image file must not exceed 5 MB. Accepted file formats are JPG, JPEG, and PNG. HEIC (native iOS format), BMP, SVG, and TIFF files will not be accepted.
    5. The proposed artwork must be a new work created within the past two years and must not have been submitted to any previous competition.
    6. Each submission must be the applicant’s original work, and each applicant may submit one artwork only.
    7. Preliminary Review Results: The Selection Committee will review the application materials and select up to 18 applicants to advance to the Final Review. The list of shortlisted applicants will be announced by July 31, 2026, and selected applicants will be notified individually by official written notice.
  2. Final Review
    1. Applicants selected for the Final Review must submit a scale model and an Installation Proposal to the Visual Arts Division, Hualien County Cultural Affairs Bureau (No. 6, Wenfu Road, Hualien City 970, Taiwan (R.O.C.)) by August 24, 2026.
    2. The longest dimension of the scale model must not exceed 40 centimeters. The scale model must be produced using the same material proposed for the final artwork.
    3. Before shipping the scale model, applicants must provide the Event Management team with videos showing the model from all viewing angles. Applicants are responsible for ensuring the safe shipment of the scale model. The organizers assume no responsibility for any loss or damage during shipping. Any taxes, customs duties, customs clearance fees, and shipping costs arising from shipment of the scale model shall be borne by the applicant.
    4. The Installation Proposal shall include:
      1. Artist statement
      2. Artwork design drawings
      3. tone cutting plan
      4. Artwork installation plan
      5. Project schedule
    5. The organizers will provide a scale model production subsidy of NT$60,000 for applicants from Taiwan and NT$80,000 for international applicants. Ownership of all submitted scale models shall belong to the organizers. The subsidy will be disbursed after the organizers have received and accepted the scale model.
    6. The Selection Committee will conduct an on-site evaluation and select 9 artists and 2 alternate artists. If the submitted works do not meet the Selection Committee’s standards, the Committee reserves the right to select fewer than nine artists or to make no selection.
  3. Evaluation Criteria
    1. Preliminary Review
      1. Creativity and interpretation of the theme 30%
      2. Feasibility of the proposed installation, structural safety, and weather resistance 40%
      3. Previous experience in creating large-scale sculptures 30%
    2. Final Review
      1. Artistic concept and relevance to the theme 20%
      2. Feasibility and quality of the project plan 50%
      3. Completeness of the scale model 30%

IX Awards and Compensation

  1. The organizers will cover accommodation costs, return economy-class tickets, and accident insurance for participating artists who pass the final review.
  2. The NT$250,000 production cost provided by the organizers covers personal tool expenses of NT$100,000 and an on-site installation fee of NT$150,000, both of which are subject to withholding in accordance with the provisions of the Income Tax Act, the Standards of Withholding Rate for Various Incomes, and the NHI supplementary premium of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
  3. One certificate and one trophy shall be awarded.For artists who cannot complete their creations due to personal reasons, the organizers reserve the right to cancel their entries and demand the return of their certificates, trophy, tool expenses, compensation, and all other related fees associated with the activity.

X Other Provisions

  1. Submission of an application constitutes acceptance of all terms and conditions set forth in this Call for Entries.
  2. In accordance with Article 14, Paragraph 2 of the Act on Recusal of Public Servants Due to Conflicts of Interest, applicants who are public servants or related parties as defined in Articles 2 and 3 of the Act shall submit the Disclosure Form for Public Servants and Related Parties (Prior Disclosure) at the time of application.
  3. For the purposes of administrative operations, the Call for Entries, and exhibition-related activities, the organizers may collect, process, and use the personal information provided by applicants in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act and other applicable laws and regulations.
  4. The organizers reserve the right to determine the installation location of each artwork. Artists shall not raise any objection.
  5. Any matters not covered in these Guidelines may be revised and announced by the organizers.

XI Call for Entries and Enquiries

  1. The Call for Entries may be downloaded from the 2026 Hualien International Stone Sculpture Symposium website: https://hualien-symposium.hlctw.com/
  2. For enquiries regarding the application process, please contact the Event Management Team (Zoe Huang, Nick Sheng).
  3. Telephone: +886-988-126446, +886-988-320221Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
  4. E-mail: [email protected]