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Best Gallery In Taiwan: 1839 Contemporary Gallery / 2026 WORLD ART AWARDS

Thom Bierdz

8 min readMay 2, 2026

The World Art Awards has announced the 20 Best International Galleries for the year 2026, with 1839 Contemporary Gallery receiving the award for the Best Gallery in Taiwan. Selections are based on years established, industry reputation, location, size, aesthetics, socially relevant exhibits, motivational and educational programs, online presence, represented artists — and references from artists, clients, and visitors.

World Art Awards: “The only gallery in Taiwan that has focused on the art of photography for over 17 years, Taipei-based 1839 Contemporary Gallery takes its name “from photography invention in 1839 to now.” With the advancement of technology, equal rights, and the era of green energy and environmental protection in the 21st century, they recently exhibited emerging photographers, modern and contemporary women, and the 10th TAIWAN PHOTO expo. They also regularly feature work of high-ranking photographers from the region as well as from United States, Germany, Britain, France, Poland, Japan, South Korea and China.”

MORE ABOUT THE GALLERY: 1839 Contemporary Gallery, established in 2009, is a premier photographic art gallery located in the East District of Taipei City. With a spacious exhibition space of 150 square meters, the gallery offers an ideal venue for showcasing photographic art.

Strategically situated in close proximity to prominent landmarks such as the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, fashion department stores, and Taipei Dome, 1839 Contemporary Gallery enjoys excellent accessibility. This prime location attracts a diverse audience, including art enthusiasts, tourists, and local residents.

As a dedicated space for photographic art, 1839 Contemporary Gallery is committed to promoting and exhibiting works that utilize the medium of photography. This exclusive focus allows the gallery to curate exhibitions that highlight the unique artistic expressions and techniques employed in the field of photography.

Furthermore, the founder of the gallery annually organizes the Taiwan Photo Art Fair since 2011, a prestigious event that draws participation from numerous overseas photography galleries and photographers. The aim is to provides a platform for these international artists to present their exceptional works to the public, fostering cultural exchange and appreciation for the art of photography.

Over the years, 1839 Contemporary Gallery has curated exhibitions featuring over 85 prominent photographers from around the world. Esteemed names such as Michael Kenna, Christopher Burkett, Jock Sturges, Michael Wolf, Ken Kitano, Daido Moriyama Yoshihiko Ueda, Yoshihiko Ito, Toshio Shibata, Eiji INA, Photographer HAL, Yoshie Atsushi, and Mika Kan have all been showcased in the gallery, further establishing its reputation as a leading institution in the field of photographic art.

Through its commitment to showcasing exceptional works and facilitating cultural exchange, 1839 Contemporary Gallery continues to contribute to the growth and appreciation of photographic art in Taiwan and beyond.

In their 2024 exhibition celebrated European photography through a carefully curated selection of over thirty exceptional works by fourteen photographers from eight European countries. This exhibition paid homage to photography’s remarkable 185-year legacy, acknowledging its profound impact on human civilization and its unique position at the intersection of technology and art. The period from the mid-19th to early 20th century marked the golden age of European photography, catalyzing the worldwide evolution of photographic techniques and artistic vision that continues to this day.

In 2025, they showcased the photographic works of Spanish artist Marco Salvador. His works reveal hidden, suggestive, or barely perceptible elements through a visual language that demands contemplative observation. He transforms ordinary landscapes into near-abstract entities — offering a perspective of reality from an entirely different dimension.

In 2026, they plan to showcase a new generation of photographic artists, including Aki Norton, who explores the mind-body relationship through classical cyanotype techniques; Shinya Arimoto, whose Tibetan portraits delve into the sacred beauty of Tibet; Maria Chung, who documents the complex interplay between urban development, historical memory, and power structures in Hong Kong; Minae Kawada, who transforms Japan’s distinctive fireworks from dreamlike spectacles into quests for the soul; Kzauyoshi Usui, presenting “Showa88–99,” which constructs a parallel world where the Showa era continues; Kyosuke Sasaki, whose “Scape” project intricately weaves portrait photography, daily life, and spatial perception; and Koshi Matsumoto with “Monologue of Plants in the Still Night.”

With their longstanding dedication to professional photography, the “1839 PHOTO ART Emerging Exhibition” represents their annual commitment to discovering and promoting emerging photographic talents. This open call for entries continues their tradition of supporting innovative voices in contemporary photography.

This call for exhibition is open to photographers worldwide, welcoming submissions utilizing any photographic process or camera format. Selected candidates will be awarded a two-week solo exhibition opportunity.
How to Apply: Please submit your proposed works (16–20 pieces, exhibited print size in 8”x10”), Artist Statement, and CV to 1839cg@gmail.com
Recognition & Exposure: Finalists selected by the jury will exhibit their works at the 1839 Little Gallery in Taipei, Taiwan.

https://english.1839cg.com/archives/category/exhibition-info

Official Web Site: https://english.1839cg.com/

Address: B1, №120 Yanji Street, Da’an District, Taipei City 106, Taiwan, R.O.C.

Tue-Sun 11:00–19:00 ｜ FB: 1839cg ｜IG: 1839cg_taipei

Contact: 1839cg@gmail.com

Phone: +886 (02) 2761 6246

World Art Awards: “This year we awarded revered historical art establishments having the highest standards of curatorial excellence presenting endless inventories of blue-chip Old Master originals, placing works in top collections across the globe. We also selected many newer hot-spot galleries setting trends with hyperrealism, digital and AI works, demonstrating community-focused workshops and panel discussions bridging the gap between aesthetic expression and pressing societal issues.

“All our Top 20 Galleries have rotating schedules of diverse exhibitions, a few partner with corporations, a number also publish annual catalogues of their exceptional international rosters and the majority actively participate at significant global gatherings akin to Art Basel, Frieze and TEFAF Maastricht.

“We opted for many high-rated private galleries in disparate countries representing important young work, from painting to digital to photography to sculpture. All these galleries are a vital part of the international art forum while focusing on advancing their regional artists, be they Austrian, Bulgarian, Cypriot, Israeli, Mexican, Moroccan or from the American Southwest.

“We honored the largest gallery in Arizona, a 20,000 square foot Sedona mystical temple displaying the finest of every style with emphasis on cutting-edge spiritual art, as does our Bulgarian winner.

“We chose a renowned three-story London showplace exhibiting heralded contemporary Eastern and Western art and also Australia’s premier glassworks facility. We selected a Florida institution which has expanded to four locations, equaling 20,000 square feet giving it the largest exhibition space in South Florida with close proximity to Art Basel & Art Miami.

“We selected the only gallery in Taiwan that has focused on the art of photography for over 17 years with high-ranking photographers from the region as well as from Germany, Britain, France, Poland, Japan, South Korea, USA and China. We also decided on large, modern art facilities in Denmark, England, Morocco and USA with influential international presences.”