What do you do when you can't fall asleep? Read a book? Go out and wonder around? Sit and relax? The Museum of Tomorrow (MOT) offers another choice for night owls--visiting a museum after midnight.

The name itself is enough to stir the curiosity of most people. The museum is situated at the intersection of Dunhua North Road and Civic Boulevard in Taipei, located in the shadows of Jianguo Overpass and Civic Boulevard Overpass across from Miramar Hotel. The entire complex seems to carry the message: "A better tomorrow awaits your visit."

After opening its doors in January, MOT has attracted an average of 500 visitors everyday. The result is encouraging to Ppaper, the publisher of a biweekly by the same name and planner of the event. The first exhibition features "theFLOWmarket" designed by Danish designers Mads Hagstrom.
 

An innovative idea

Ppaper Chief Design Officer and MOT Executive Committee Manager Wang Chih-ling pointed out that MOT is organized by Ppaper at the request of JUT Foundation (忠泰建築文化藝術基金會). The objective of the project is to provide a 24-hour museum that sows a seed for a better future by connecting creativity, culture, environment, and aesthetics in a more approachable and intellectual way.

"Taipei residents have nowhere to go at night. In addition, most museums are too quiet and austere. Therefore, the goal of MOT is to create an exhibition space that is more relaxing and more welcoming. Hopefully, the environment will provide the visitors with a more positive outlook, allowing them to feel more hope for tomorrow," said Wang.
 

Unlike standard museums, MOT is not designed to be a permanent establishment, but intends to move locations frequently. The current location, originally housing a repair shop, is provided by the JUT foundation and became the first venue of MOT after simple renovations.
 

Wang described the museum as a "mobile museum." After 134 days at the current venue, the museum will likely change location and exhibition method. However, the concept and principle will remain unchanged. "This is why we have a gigantic countdown clock ticking away on the translucent white wall of the entranceway."
 

In addition to exhibition space, MOT also houses a coffee shop, a souvenir shop, and a gift shop that carries books related to design. In addition, there are also a lot of chairs and a huge space to relax. It is not your usual cold and inhumane display room.
 

The flowmarket

The ambition of MOT can easily be gleaned from the exhibition "theFLOWmarket" which lasts from January 4 until February 28. This is a real market operating around the clock, where visitors can purchase merchandise. Designed by Mads Hagstrom, the exhibition features store shelves that carry merchandises that appear simple in design yet delicate. The merchandise/art works represent topics in modern society that everybody should be concerned about.

The 38 pieces of merchandise include such thought-provoking oddities as; stress killers, commercial free space, clean tap water, renewable energy, and organic food.

Wang pointed out that the principle and elements of the designs centers on the empty bottles. Putting a label on an empty bottle to indicate different concepts is in effect a form of installation art, Wang said. This is an exhibition that is uncommon in Taiwan. By purchasing items, the buyer expresses his or her identification with the concept 'purchased' --in a manner reflecting the mechanism of casting a vote in a referendum.
 

"There is no need for a clear line of distinction between artwork, merchandise, and design product. In this exhibition, the element of communication is the message, not design," noted Wang.
 

There is a distinct difference in customs and habits between Denmark and Taiwan, and nearly half of the issues mentioned in the exhibition were originally designed as topics of concern to the people of Denmark. Taiwan's exhibtion planning team made sure that Taiwanese could identify with the exhibit by adding "local" issues, such as "no politics." Statistics kept by the museum suggest that items on top of the sales list in Taiwan include "Say what your mean" and "Better attitude."
 

Happy Living

The second exhibition of Museum of Tomorrow, "Happy Living." which is scheduled to last from March 22 until May 17, will explore entirely different concepts --the meaning of 'ideal life' and a happy home.

Wang said that the planning committee has invited five internationally renowned illustrators to participate in the event. One of these illustrators will appear in person, and demonstrate drawing techniques exhibition by setting up a virtual home on the spot--one which visitors could actually walk in. She remarked that, "we hope to understand what kinds of factors in a space will allow people to experience happiness and joy, whether it is emotion, the style of living, or other factors."
 

In other words, even though the exhibition offers much room for imagination, it is practical in the sense of exploring the meaning of "home" to modern people who are materialistically oriented.

Touch the people

Wang pointed out that the principles of MOT match those of Ppaper magazine. They all aim to be things that mundane people can accept, not something that is elegant and elitist. This is why MOT is open around the clock, and generates a relaxing and approachable atmosphere. Likewise, this why Ppaper chooses the price of NT$49 per copy, and could be easily found on the rack of convenient stores such as 7-Eleven.

She noted that since the opening of the museum, most of the visitors have been designers and students of design schools. However, occasionally there will be mothers with their kids. They are like the readers of Ppaper – not only designers, but could be anyone from elementary students to white-collar workers.
 

"We would like to show contents that comprises of everything, and to display articles through simple language and principles from an international perspective that shows interest and concern. We like to let the visitors realize 'wow, such interesting things actually exist in our world!' We do not advocate materialism, but the heightening of aesthetics, and a deeper understanding of the world, society, environment, and human affairs," said Wang.

Wang stressed that the budget of MOT is no way comparable to those of the National Palace Museum. However, with only four month of preparation time, the current results are very encouraging to the organizers.

She said: "In fact, we do not have too much money to spend on promotion. In this aspect, the Internet plays a very important role. Through the recommendations of people who visited the exhibition and MOT’s policy of allowing photographs to be taken, we have succeeded in attracting much media attention. This has become a major and effective promotion for MOT."
 

About MOT

The 24-hour museum offers free admission. It is organized by JUT Foundation, Chungtai Changhung Construction Company(忠泰長紅建設), and Ppaper. The objective of the museum is to provide the opportunity of a better tomorrow to visitors through a museum-style exhibition that combines creativity, culture, environment, and aesthetics.

Exhibition Address: No. 180, Civic Boulevard Section 3, Taipei City


Exhibition Date: January 4, 2007 ~ May 17, 2007

About Ppaper:

Ppaper was founded in December of 2004. It is a biweekly magazine on design and lifestyle published by Pao & Paws. The NT$49 publication seeks to overthrow the traditional image of design magazines being expensive and hard to understand by its low price policy and aesthetics approach that is closer to everyday life. Within a year, the publication climbed to third place on 7-Eleven's sales chart, following Business Weekly and Next Magazine.
 

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