Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in On Balance, the ARTnews newsletter about the art market and beyond. Sign up here to receive it every Wednesday.

It may not command the same international spotlight as Art Basel Paris, but the second edition of Taipei Art Week is drawing a big crowd of art enthusiasts. Anchored by Art Taipei—Asia’s longest-running art fair, which opened its VIP preview Thursday—and the 14th Taipei Biennale, the city has once again become a hub for regional art activity this fall.

“Last year, galleries weren’t sure how to align their programs with the art week,” Claudia Chen, chairwoman of the Taiwan Art Gallery Association (TAGA), which organizes Art Taipei, told ARTnews. “But this year, everyone knows this is the moment to pull out their best shows for greater exposure.”

The result, Chen added, is a noticeable leap in both the quality and ambition of exhibitions across the city, accompanied by a fuller calendar of pop-up shows, talks, and collectors’ parties.

A vibrant art scene, the growing international profile of a n...