Local artists have been talking about and using places like the Zhongxin Market as "alternative space" for over 20 years. The term refers to a place housing art that is non-traditional, non-mainstream, and not bound by the rules of the system. It refers to small non-profit spaces run by artists themselves or opened specifically on behalf of artists.
像忠信市場這樣的另類藝術空間，也可稱為「替代空間」，這個台灣本地藝術界已採用並實踐超過 20 年的概念，是從英文 alternative space 翻譯而來，有不受體制規範、非傳統且非主流的意思，指的是藝術家經營或專為藝術家而設的小型非營利性藝術空間。