ILLUME TAIPEI x The Tutu Project Infuses Love and Light into Breast Cancer Awareness
Join Pink Illumination and witness the collaboration between ILLUME TAIPEI and The Tutu Project, infusing love and light into breast cancer awareness through art and action. Light up Taipei and support the cause!
1 in 12 — not just a number, but a reality we face in our everyday lives. In Taiwan, 1 in 12 women is at high risk of developing breast cancer. However, with early detection and timely treatment, the 5-year survival rate can reach up to 90%.
October is International Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and people around the world are showing their support by wearing pink ribbons to raise awareness about the importance of breast cancer prevention. Mammograms, recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), are proven to detect early-stage breast cancer. In Taiwan, the Health Promotion Administration offers free mammogram screenings every two years for women aged 45-69, and starting at 40 for those with a family history.
This October, we are excited to partner with The Tutu Project for a month-long event, “Pink Illumination,” combining art, fashion, and action to raise awareness for breast cancer prevention. Let’s come together to light up Taipei and spread hope and strength!
Bob Carey
Thu Tutu Project Founder
Bob Carey is The TuTu Project's Founder and photographer. His signature is to wear his pink tutu to travel around the world to create shocking photographic images for the world to see. This was inspired by his wife's breast cancer diagnosis. But when the images got viral, Bob and Linda decided to set up a 501(c)3 non-profit to support other breast cancer survivors.
About Pink Illumination
Pink Illumination is a groundbreaking collaboration between ILLUME TAIPEI and The Tutu Project, merging art, fashion, and social awareness in a month-long celebration of hope and resilience. This unique event, taking place throughout October, aims to shed light on breast cancer awareness while showcasing the transformation power of art.
Special Activities
The event features multiple engaging components:
Pink Illumination
Art Display
Health
The Illuminated art decoration pulses with a soft glow, mimicking heartbeats. The pink tutu-dressing pieces remind visitors of the true heart generated by Bob Carey, the importance of regular check-ups, and early detection in breast cancer prevention, turning art into a powerful tool for health awareness.
サスティナブルツーリズム
Crafted from recycled ILLUME Glass Bottles, the art decoration is deeply installed with eco-friendly ideas, showcasing how beauty can arise from sustainability. By telling a story of transformation, we wish to inspire our visitors to rethink waste and embrace a greener future for our planet.
memories
This interactive light display creates perfect photo opportunities. Capture your Pink Illumination moment, share it on Instagram with our hashtag #pinkillumination, and you can win exclusive Tutu Project gifts or a complimentary dinner at Sunny Buffet. Make memories, and spread awareness!
Tutu Pop-up Shop
The Tutu Project’s upcoming Asia Tour from October 17th to October 27th brings a unique opportunity to connect with art, hope, and community through its one-of-a-kind merchandise. The event celebrates the Art of the Tutu, a symbol of transformation, vulnerability, and hope, originally created by Bob as a way to navigate fear and discomfort in a new environment. The tutu, initially without deep meaning, evolved into a powerful metaphor for overcoming personal struggles, especially in the context of Bob’s wife’s battle with breast cancer.
The Asia Tour will not only showcase special edition merchandise but will also invite artists to reinterpret the tutu through their own mediums. Themes like love, hope, vulnerability, and the experience of facing illness will be central to the works presented. Each artist will bring their own story and experiences to the symbol, reshaping it into a message of resilience and compassion. Through charity purchases, the event aims to support families affected by cancer, offering both creative and financial assistance.
Ultimately, the tutu stands as a metaphorical lifeboat, a symbol of hope and transformation, carrying people through difficult times with grace and creativity. The event invites everyone to participate, bringing art, charity, and community together for a greater cause.
Share Your Pink
Art of Tutu
The tutu in The Tutu Project didn’t initially stand for anything specific—it wasn't originally meant to have deep meaning. Instead, it became a symbol of transformation and vulnerability. When Bob moved to NYC, he was in an unfamiliar environment, facing fears and uncertainty. Wearing the tutu and photographing himself was a way to push through that discomfort and embrace vulnerability through art. He had no idea where this would lead, but it became a powerful expression of facing fears head-on. Bob’s journey in the tutu became the driving force, bringing humor and hope to his wife and to breast cancer patients while helping others transform difficult emotions into something positive.
The gathering will invite artists to explore and share how they would incorporate the tutu—or its shape and form—into their chosen medium, expressing themes like love, hope, facing fears, vulnerability, an illness of a loved one; similar themes in Bob’s work but using their own experiences. The idea is to take this symbol, which originally had no specific meaning, and reimagine it in their own creative ways. The goal is to demonstrate that the tutu, like any symbol, can be transformed into something deeply meaningful through each artist’s unique vision.
“The tutu is a metaphor for a lifeboat.”
ILLUME Taipei.
Taipei, Taiwan
I took this image when I was in Taipei to speak at the 2024 TEDxXinyi event. The hotel believes in what we’re doing for the breast cancer community, generous in sponsoring my stay in Taipei and so kind in helping me find the perfect spot to take the photo. I love the graphic beauty of the architecture, which is what attracted me to this location. The floors behind me make the perfect backdrop.
The First Ballerina.
Phoenix, AZ
This image was inspired by a pro bono project I shot for Ballet Arizona. They asked artists to photographically interpret the meaning of ballet. I had never been to a ballet before and was clueless as to the difference between a plié or a pas de poisson. My stepmother made the pink tutu for me with the help of my wife Linda and an assistant, who was wielding a razor because for these images, I shaved my body and painted it shiny silver. It was a look in a series of black-and-white self-portraits I had worked on for nine years. The photograph was complete as I bowed to an imaginary audience. At the time I had no idea of where this pink tutu would take me.
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