From da Vinci’s Legacy to the Future of AI — An Artistic Journey across Time and Space that Awakens All the Senses
Von Wolf: The Garden Fortress
As Kaohsiung continues to advance its urban transformation and expand international exchange, culture has remained a vital driving force behind the city’s development. This year, the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts presents the international special exhibition Von Wolfe: The Garden Fortress, showcasing the creative trajectory of British artist Von Wolfe over the past twenty years. It also marks his first comprehensive museum-scale retrospective in Asia. Sharing this exhibition with the people of Kaohsiung reflects the museum’s longstanding commitment and professional dedication, and it symbolizes the steady elevation of the city’s cultural vitality.
In recent years, British art genius Von Wolfe has attracted significant international attention for work that spans classical painting, fashion culture, and artificial intelligence (AI). With a blend of meticulous oil-painting technique and cutting-edge algorithms, he forges a new artistic vocabulary—compositions that are elegant and refined, yet infused with a subtle sense of unease that draws viewers back for repeated contemplation. Centered on the theme “From the Classical to the Future,” this exhibition traces the evolution of Wolfe’s creative trajectory over the past twenty years. From early works that pay homage to classical masters such as Picasso and Leonardo da Vinci to the new visual language he has developed in recent years through AI, Von Wolfe’s remarkable creations span three exhibition halls. In preparing for this retrospective, Wolfe undertook in-depth research into the history and culture of Taiwan and Kaohsiung, closely observing the natural surroundings of the museum’s grounds. He even incorporated the technological force symbolized by Taiwan’s semiconductor industry into his work, culminating in the exhibition’s centerpiece, The Garden Fortress. This work not only responds to Kaohsiung’s landscape but also embodies the intertwined meanings of technology and nature, and of future and tradition, in contemporary society.
Kaohsiung is a city continually transforming between tradition and emerging technologies. Once an industrial hub built around its harbor and steel industry, it has evolved into a smart city driven by AI, semiconductors, and green energy—practical in character, yet rich in imagination. Beyond its robust industry and technology, culture adds meaningful depth to everyday life. Von Wolfe: The Garden Fortress is more than an art exhibition; it represents the city’s dialogue with technology through culture, and its pursuit of new horizons through art.
May this winter be made warmer through art, and may we imagine a more expansive future together.
