Taiwan Revokes National Art Prize from Sakuliu Pavavaljung After Sexual Assault Conviction
Taiwan’s National Culture and Arts Foundation has revoked the National Award for Arts it gave to artist Sakuliu Pavavaljung in 2018 and ordered him to return the NTD 1 million (about $32,000) prize after his sexual assault conviction, according to Art Asia Pacific. Sakuliu, a multidisciplinary artist whose work draws on Indigenous Paiwan culture, was selected for the award’s 20th edition announced in 2017 and later faced public allegations in 2022 amid his planned participation in the Taiwan Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale. The Taipei Fine Arts Museum suspended planning for the Venice collateral exhibition, and Documenta 15 withdrew his participation pending investigation outcomes. Sakuliu was found guilty of forcible sexual intercourse and sentenced to 4.5 years in prison, with Taiwan’s Supreme Court upholding the ruling on April 1; his name has been removed from the foundation’s award website.
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This story was covered in Museums on Delay, Biennales Draw New Lines