Putting art and public in frame

It doesn't have spacious fancy showrooms but the outdoor grassland can be a playground for artists to experiment with their ideas.

Nor does it display many priceless art works. But pleasant surprises catch visitors' eyes in every corner and make them smile: colorful pinwheels made of abandoned paper and cloth tied on the iron gate, more than 100 plastic water bottles holding thriving plants covering a barbed wire fence, and lovely "shrimps" and "crabs" made of dried seaweeds on the wall.

These artworks were the fruits of the cooperation between artists and residents in communities nearby.

They fit in with the environment well and were inspired by local people's lives.

"The characteristic of contemporary art is that it is born at the moment and keeps changing. So it shouldn't be confined in a certain form such as a statue standing in a museum. It can be blended into the scenery in other environments," says Lin.

"In the age of information, the communication between art and the public should go beyond the traditional way in a museum. We encourage our curators, artists and the audience to discuss on our online platform."

What's most special about the Oil! Project is that it focuses on community art programs. For instance, a program was organized in which 12 groups of people including iPhone users, architecture students, South Asian families and deaf children were paired with 12 photographic artists to explore their living environments and capture the touching moments with photos.

"We're planting a seed of art in people. We hope they can learn to appreciate life through an artistic perspective after participating in community art programs," Lin says.