Taipei (Taiwan News) – Nuit Blanche Taipei 2024 concluded Nov. 3 with mixed reviews, despite drawing a large crowd.

Curated by artist Agi Chen (陳怡潔), the event featured over 100 performances by 61 domestic and international teams at Daan Forest Park and surrounding venues. A highlight was the Asian premiere of “French Animal Parade” by Kitty Hartl, a curator of the Paris Nuit Blanche.

While the Taipei Department of Cultural Affairs reported a turnout of over 450,000 people, similar to last year’s 460,000, the event faced significant online criticism. Many attendees called it the “worst one yet.”

Known for integrating art into everyday life, this year’s event was criticized for a lack of exhibits, poor quality, and a lackluster atmosphere.

Typhoon Kong-rey left the park muddy, leading to accidents and complaints about waste management. The city’s cultural department apologized in a press release.

Cross-media artist Mr. Eye Ball said that compared to last year’s event at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, “Even in the rain, you could feel the presence of art everywhere. This year, it felt empty, with very few exhibits.”

Many online comments on the Facebook group Kobei Art echoed the criticism: "It was a joke. There were so few exhibits, and when you found them, they were just paintings hung on the wall with nails.”

Many netizens shared similar sentiments online, comparing the event to a large night market with poor organization and potential environmental damage.