Since its inception in 2002, the Taiwan International Design Competition has become one of the most prestigious and authoritative design competitions in Asia. It is not only a futuristic design competition open to designers and young talents worldwide, but also is aimed at encouraging design interactions and international cultural exchanges. In order to further trigger creativity of young students, the organizer of the 2008 Taiwan International Design Competition has cooperated with the Ministry of Education in the planning of an expansion of the scope of the said competition.

Eastern/Western, Traditional/Modern, Global/Local, Exquisite/Mundane, Inside/Outside, Ahead/Behind…. These are the dichotomies that frame our perceptions of the world. We can break through these lines of demarcation and definition, although it takes great fortitude to live in such uncertainty. In Chinese, there is a word, “Chu Ju” (出入).

This word is most commonly translated as discrepancy, inconsistency or uncertainty. Yet “Chu Ju” means, most literally, “In/Out”. It is the concept of simultaneously coming and going. It is a paradox; one that exists even though the laws of reason state that it cannot.

For the 2008 Taiwan International Design Competition, we invite you to explore the contradictions that arise from the word “Chu Ju”. As you explore this concept, don’t look for truths, but instead seek inspiration in the face of uncertainty.

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