Previously on view in the Amsterdam Biennale: Kai-Ting Lin, XAN

Taipei Pavilion

Beauties behind the glass box, selling Bīnláng 檳榔 (Betel nuts)

Together with four other cities, Taipei opened its pavilion on Saturday 14 November 2009 with the presentation of a Taiwanese tradition: the betel nut beauties. Until 3 January 2010 in the Amsterdam Biennale.

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Kai Ting-Lin in Taipei paviljoen - The Taipei Pavilion, curators: Kai-Ting Lin, Xen and Tsai Cheng. Nov 21 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. 21 november 2009: Opnieuw een Fantastische Avond in de Amsterdam Biennale met de opening van de paviljoens van Taipei, Rome, Kopenhagen en Milan. Erik Pold uit Kopenhagen nam deze avond interviews af met gasten, Kai Ting-Lin, Tsaijer Cheng en XAN lieten ons kennismaken met de seksuele traditie van 'betelnoot beauties' uit Taipei, Sabine Delafon presenteerde haar… Raphael Rehbach

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In Taiwan the scarcely dressed betel nut beauties sell nuts to truckers, while sitting behind glass. Although they remind us of Amsterdam's Red Light District, they only sell nuts which give the truckers energy. Artists Kai-Ting Lin, Tsai Cheng and Xan move this tradition to Amsterdam and create a construction of glass with a sexy girl in it. Do you also need some energy? Try their nuts at the opening of the Taipei pavilion Saturday the 21th of November.

NUTS, NUTS, HAPPY NUTS?
by XAN

The 'Betelnut Beauty Booth' is a representation of an actual almost iconic situation that can be found all over Taiwan. But there it is also symbolic representation in a Droste-like fashion. Taiwan is an island state surrounded by fast, empty ocean, over the horizon there is unseen enemy. The scantly dressed 'Betelnut Beauties' are also isolated from the conservative Taiwanese community. In our view, this isolation is universal, especially for artists, desperately proving their social importance, thus underlining their social isolation.

De 'Betelnut Beauty Booth' is een representatie van een werkelijke bijna iconische situatie die over heel Taiwan te vinden is. Maar er is ook een symbolische uitleg met een soort van Droste effect. Taiwan is een eilandstaat omringd door een wijde lege zee met voorbij de horizon een onzichtbare vijand. De schaarsgeklede 'Betelnut Beauties' zijn net zo geisoleerd van de conservatieve Taiwanese gemeenschap. Volgens ons is deze isolatie universeel. In het bijzonder bij kunstenaars, die door wanhopig hun sociaal belang proberen te bewijzen enkel hun sociale isolatie bevestigen.

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Building up Taipei pavilion - The Taipei Pavilion, curators: Kai-Ting Lin, Xen and Tsai Cheng. Nov 21 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

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Betel secrets - The Taipei Pavilion, curators: Kai-Ting Lin, Xen and Tsai Cheng. Nov 21 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

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Drawing beauties of Taipei - The Taipei Pavilion, curators: Kai-Ting Lin, Xen and Tsai Cheng. Nov 21 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

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Finishing Taipei pavilion - The Taipei Pavilion, curators: Kai-Ting Lin, Xen and Tsai Cheng. Nov 21 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

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Looking at the betelnut beauties - The Taipei Pavilion, curators: Kai-Ting Lin, Xen and Tsai Cheng. Nov 21 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

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Yummy betelnuts - Opening Again a Fantastic Night on Saturday November 21 Amsterdam Biennale 2009 at Mediamatic Raphael Rehbach

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Masato-seto Betel nut kiosk - Betel nut beauties kiosk. Nov 21 - Dec 13 2009, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Photo Masato Seto. Nov 21 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Masato seto

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Betel nut girl in Taipei - Photo Tobie Openshaw. Nov 21 - Dec 13 2009, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic.

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Betel nut girl with the driver - Photo Tobie Openshaw. Nov 21 - Dec 13 2009, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. The practice has been cheered by male customers, condemned by feminist groups, decried by health professionals and studied by sociologists keen to understand the island’s “betel-nut culture.” Photo Tobie Openshaw. Nov 21 - Dec 13 2009, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Kai-Ting Lin

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Betel Sellers Takes Order - ADVANCE FOR STORY SLUG:BETEL BABES: BYLINE WILLIAM FOREMAN: 1 OF ? PHOTOS-A betel nut seller leans tighly up against the window sill of a customer's caras she takes an order in the street, Monday evening, November 8, 1999, in Taipei. Most betel nut selling women, frequently called in slang "spice girls", are high school dropouts who are hired to attract drive-up business for the chewing nut with their good looks and tight, low-cut revealing dresses. (AP Photo/Wally Santana) Kai-Ting Lin

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"Basically, men are randy," says taxi driver Cheng Chunho - dipping into a plastic bag of "Hi Class Beetle Nut Crispy & Tasty." "I don't even like the stuff. But after a long day of driving, buying it provides a bit of excitement. Kai-Ting Lin

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Betel nut kiosk named TOKYO - Photo Tobie Openshaw. Nov 21 - Dec 13 2009, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. “There’s an element of treating women like toys,” says Wang Julu, a sociologist at National Tsing Hua University. Photo Tobie Openshaw. Nov 21 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Kai-Ting Lin

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Areca nuts wrapped in Betel leaves, appearing as they are commonly prepared and sold in Taiwan - Nuts purchased by and taken by Bryan Passifiume, 2006. Man, these things taste disgusting. Kai-Ting Lin

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BB - Betelnut Beauty Stenciling "Betelnut Beauty" Kai-Ting Lin

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Betel Nuts Brothers - Album art from the musical group "Betel Nuts Brothers" Kai-Ting Lin