A Gaze into the Empty Space- Allen Nieh and Our Contemporaries

Exhibition Introduction

Co-organized by the School of Theatre, Taipei National University of the Arts, and the Taiwan Association of Theatre Technology (TATT), A Gaze into the Empty Space – Allen Nieh and Our Contemporaries is both a tribute to one of Taiwan’s pioneering figures in stage design and a dialog between the stage, the theater, and our times. Through a retrospective of Mr. Nieh’s five-decade-long career, the exhibition offers a lens into the evolution of Taiwan’s performing arts and theater design—from the ground up, from experimentation to establishment, and from personal artistic pursuit to the shaping of an entire theatrical environment.

With a spirit of professionalism, rigor, and unwavering dedication, Mr. Nieh was instrumental in shaping the foundations of modern theatrical concepts in Taiwan, establishing key standards in stage design and technical theater. His work is marked by minimalist forms, clean lines, and a distinctive non-realist visual language, imbued with a deep humanistic sensibility that gave rise to poetic spaces onstage. More than just a designer, he profoundly influenced the development of Taiwanese theater and the cultivation of future generations, leaving behind an enduring legacy for those who followed.

However, as he gradually stepped away from the theater world over the past two decades, many younger practitioners may know his name without fully understanding the depth of his contributions and influence. Fortunately, in 2022, Mr. Nieh donated his invaluable collection of manuscripts, documents, and design drawings to the National Taiwan University Library. With the generous introduction by Ms. Wang Chi-mei and the careful curation by Ms. Wang and Ms. Yang Shu-wen, his legacy was brought into new light. Through this archival process, what emerged most clearly was the essence of Mr. Nieh’s design philosophy throughout his design career: a pursuit of romanticism within prudence, and a search for freedom within structure. This spirit not only shaped his own creative journey but also left a lasting impact on the trajectory of theater design in Taiwan.
A Gaze into the Empty Space is not merely a retrospective, but an opportunity to reexamine the relationship between theater design and our time. How do we perceive the theater? How has theater shaped our times? And how might these questions be traced through the work of Allen Nieh? This exhibition invites theater professionals, students, and enthusiasts alike to look through Nieh’s eyes, to gaze into the empty space, and in doing so, to reflect on the theatrical era we inhabit.

Exhibition Introduction

Co-organized by the School of Theatre, Taipei National University of the Arts, and the Taiwan Association of Theatre Technology (TATT), A Gaze into the Empty Space – Allen Nieh and Our Contemporaries is both a tribute to one of Taiwan’s pioneering figures in stage design and a dialog between the stage, the theater, and our times. Through a retrospective of Mr. Nieh’s five-decade-long career, the exhibition offers a lens into the evolution of Taiwan’s performing arts and theater design—from the ground up, from experimentation to establishment, and from personal artistic pursuit to the shaping of an entire theatrical environment.

With a spirit of professionalism, rigor, and unwavering dedication, Mr. Nieh was instrumental in shaping the foundations of modern theatrical concepts in Taiwan, establishing key standards in stage design and technical theater. His work is marked by minimalist forms, clean lines, and a distinctive non-realist visual language, imbued with a deep humanistic sensibility that gave rise to poetic spaces onstage. More than just a designer, he profoundly influenced the development of Taiwanese theater and the cultivation of future generations, leaving behind an enduring legacy for those who followed.

However, as he gradually stepped away from the theater world over the past two decades, many younger practitioners may know his name without fully understanding the depth of his contributions and influence. Fortunately, in 2022, Mr. Nieh donated his invaluable collection of manuscripts, documents, and design drawings to the National Taiwan University Library. With the generous introduction by Ms. Wang Chi-mei and the careful curation by Ms. Wang and Ms. Yang Shu-wen, his legacy was brought into new light. Through this archival process, what emerged most clearly was the essence of Mr. Nieh’s design philosophy throughout his design career: a pursuit of romanticism within prudence, and a search for freedom within structure. This spirit not only shaped his own creative journey but also left a lasting impact on the trajectory of theater design in Taiwan.
A Gaze into the Empty Space is not merely a retrospective, but an opportunity to reexamine the relationship between theater design and our time. How do we perceive the theater? How has theater shaped our times? And how might these questions be traced through the work of Allen Nieh? This exhibition invites theater professionals, students, and enthusiasts alike to look through Nieh’s eyes, to gaze into the empty space, and in doing so, to reflect on the theatrical era we inhabit.

About the Curator

Samuel Wang, Shin-Hsing

Samuel Wang, Shin-Hsing is a graduate of the first class of the Department of Theatre Arts of National Institute of the Arts (NIA), Taiwan. He holds a Master of Arts degree from Purchase College, State University of New York. In 1993, he began teaching at the Department of Theatre Arts of NIA and later transferred to the Department of Theatrical Design and Technology Design in 1995. He has also served as director of The Paper Windmill Arts & Educational Foundation Taiwan, chairman of the Taiwan Association of Theater Technology, vice-chairman of The International Organisation of Scenographers, Theatre Architects and Technicians (OISTAT), exhibition project leader for the 2017 World Stage Design (WSD), Curator of the Taiwan Pavilion at PQ in 2019, director of the Department of Theatrical Design and Technology Design at Taipei National University of the Arts, and director of the Performing Arts Center. He is now the Director of the School of Theatre Arts.

His design portfolio includes stage, lighting, and costume designs. In recent years, he has collaborated with various domestic and international performance groups, including Godot Theater Company, Tang Mei Yun Taiwanese Opera Company, Paperwindmill Theatre, Performance Workshop, Cloud Gate, MeimageDance, Guangzhou Song and Dance Theatre.

About the Curator

Samuel Wang, Shin-Hsing

Samuel Wang, Shin-Hsing is a graduate of the first class of the Department of Theatre Arts of National Institute of the Arts (NIA), Taiwan. He holds a Master of Arts degree from Purchase College, State University of New York. In 1993, he began teaching at the Department of Theatre Arts of NIA and later transferred to the Department of Theatrical Design and Technology Design in 1995. He has also served as director of The Paper Windmill Arts & Educational Foundation Taiwan, chairman of the Taiwan Association of Theater Technology, vice-chairman of The International Organisation of Scenographers, Theatre Architects and Technicians (OISTAT), exhibition project leader for the 2017 World Stage Design (WSD), Curator of the Taiwan Pavilion at PQ in 2019, director of the Department of Theatrical Design and Technology Design at Taipei National University of the Arts, and director of the Performing Arts Center. He is now the Director of the School of Theatre Arts.

His design portfolio includes stage, lighting, and costume designs. In recent years, he has collaborated with various domestic and international performance groups, including Godot Theater Company, Tang Mei Yun Taiwanese Opera Company, Paperwindmill Theatre, Performance Workshop, Cloud Gate, MeimageDance, Guangzhou Song and Dance Theatre.

About the Artist

Allen Nieh

Mr. Allen Nieh was born in Shanghai in 1933 and came to Taiwan amidst the turmoil of war, where he began his theater career with a military troupe. In 1953, he was admitted to the theater division of the Fu Hsing Kang College. In 1963, he traveled to the University of Hawai‘i under the East–West Center’s technical exchange program. Upon returning to Taiwan, he taught at Chinese Culture University and Shih Hsin University while continuing his work in stage and lighting design. Spanning more than 150 productions across genres, covering theater, Peking opera, Kun opera, Taiwanese opera, dance theater, and Western opera, his notable works include Snow in August, Medea, Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land, The Injustice to Dou E, The Peony Pavilion, Wandering in the Garden, Waking from a Dream, Yan Zi and His Wife, and The Man from Wuling. Known for his ability to precisely capture each script’s essence, Nieh skillfully merged Eastern and Western theatrical aesthetics, becoming a living embodiment of Taiwan’s evolving technical theater landscape.

From the early post-war era to the dawn of the new century, from hand-drawn sketches to computer-aided design, Allen Nieh played an active role across every chapter of the theater's evolution. He was well-versed in global stage design aesthetics while also deeply rooted in Chinese philosophy, literature, and cultural history. His design style reflected the graceful temperament of a traditional Chinese scholar blended with the pragmatic aesthetics of contemporary art. Prioritizing both safety and functionality, his work was also infused with the rich philosophical layers of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Much like the man himself, Nieh’s creations were understated and refined, never overshadowing the performance, yet built on a solid foundation and far-reaching vision that profoundly shaped an entire generation of theater makers.
Allen Nieh consistently remained at the forefront of the times and information, always learning, reflecting, designing, and working. Equally committed to mentorship, he generously shared his knowledge and nurtured the next generation. His contributions laid the professional foundation and standard for theater technology in Taiwan and brought the aesthetics of Taiwanese stage design into the international spotlight. His designs are not only integral to the theater, but also stand as lasting testaments to the evolution of our era in theater.

About the Artist

Allen Nieh

Mr. Allen Nieh was born in Shanghai in 1933 and came to Taiwan amidst the turmoil of war, where he began his theater career with a military troupe. In 1953, he was admitted to the theater division of the Fu Hsing Kang College. In 1963, he traveled to the University of Hawai‘i under the East–West Center’s technical exchange program. Upon returning to Taiwan, he taught at Chinese Culture University and Shih Hsin University while continuing his work in stage and lighting design. Spanning more than 150 productions across genres, covering theater, Peking opera, Kun opera, Taiwanese opera, dance theater, and Western opera, his notable works include Snow in August, Medea, Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land, The Injustice to Dou E, The Peony Pavilion, Wandering in the Garden, Waking from a Dream, Yan Zi and His Wife, and The Man from Wuling. Known for his ability to precisely capture each script’s essence, Nieh skillfully merged Eastern and Western theatrical aesthetics, becoming a living embodiment of Taiwan’s evolving technical theater landscape.

From the early post-war era to the dawn of the new century, from hand-drawn sketches to computer-aided design, Allen Nieh played an active role across every chapter of the theater's evolution. He was well-versed in global stage design aesthetics while also deeply rooted in Chinese philosophy, literature, and cultural history. His design style reflected the graceful temperament of a traditional Chinese scholar blended with the pragmatic aesthetics of contemporary art. Prioritizing both safety and functionality, his work was also infused with the rich philosophical layers of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Much like the man himself, Nieh’s creations were understated and refined, never overshadowing the performance, yet built on a solid foundation and far-reaching vision that profoundly shaped an entire generation of theater makers.
Allen Nieh consistently remained at the forefront of the times and information, always learning, reflecting, designing, and working. Equally committed to mentorship, he generously shared his knowledge and nurtured the next generation. His contributions laid the professional foundation and standard for theater technology in Taiwan and brought the aesthetics of Taiwanese stage design into the international spotlight. His designs are not only integral to the theater, but also stand as lasting testaments to the evolution of our era in theater.