Special Exhibition: "Painting Kaohsiung's Shadows: The Signboards of the Harbor City"

In an era before digital entertainment was widespread, film was once the most important form of mass entertainment. Movie theaters were everywhere, competing fiercely, with a constant stream of audiences. To attract crowds, film distributors and theaters specially hired professional painters to create various posters and hand-painted signboards. These works, with their vivid colors and exaggerated compositions, often sparked infinite imagination about the film's plot even before the audience stepped into the theater.

At that time, advertising signboards on the streets were not just promotional tools but also part of the urban landscape. Which movie was the most popular? Which star was making their latest appearance? People exchanged news and discussed topics through these signboards, making the theater's exterior walls a "cultural bulletin board" for public daily life. Hand-painted signboards made the dark theaters resemble kaleidoscopes, reflecting one dazzling story after another on the streets.

Compared to the uniformly posted printed posters inside today's multiplexes, the hand-painted signboards of the past had a more distinct personality. Each painter had a unique brushstroke and style: some were good at exaggerating characters' expressions, some emphasized fight scenes, and others painted Western superstars as if they were right in front of the audience. These works were not mere copies of stills but creations of popular art. This job combining technique and inspiration has kept hand-painted signboards shining brightly in the memories of many veteran film fans to this day.

This exhibition focuses on "hand-painted movie signboard painters," hoping to rekindle citizens' passion for theater and film culture and also let the audience experience the diverse ways people interact with images. The exhibition is divided into several sub-themes, including "Theaters and Signboards," "Introduction to Kaohsiung Signboard Painters," "Painters' Working Environment," and "Anecdotes of Movie Signboards," inviting the audience to enter the Film Archive and feel the atmosphere of old-time movies from different perspectives. Whether it's the exhibited three-dimensional signboards, precious star photos, or painter interviews and technique demonstrations, we hope everyone can step into the world of signboard art.