Dissociated Fuses

There is a belief that the Taipei Basin, where Taipei City is located, “was once a lake.” Did the Taipei Lake really exist? From evidence tracing back to remnants of the sea from the Neolithic period found in Zhishanyen and Yuanshan to descriptions of the Taipei Lake from Small Sea Travel Diaries three centuries ago, we look into this legend as a starting point and delve into a discussion about mythology and unofficial history through technological conversion. 

The submarine has various functions, such as drilling, measuring, and uncovering unknown things. It dives into the water, using imaging equipment and sonar feedback – technologies that work like phantom limbs – to capture a certain “reality” hidden or scattered in the darkness. This process is similar to an “unknown measuring” of the city through “everyday experiences” – an external expansion of one’s experiences that helps portray, capture, and re-capture the contour of “truth.” 

In our project, the submarine serves as a metaphor and a stage to display our research and collection of Taipei Lake. The movements of the submarine serve to bridge the gaps between reality and historical text. “Submersion,” “traces/observation/exploration,” “expanding boundary: phantom limbs,” and “surfacing” are the dissociated fuses of reality, through which we try to gauge the possible boundary and area of “Taipei Lake” by observing the current cityscape of Taipei. It also foreshadows the scenario where Taipei City is submerged due to future sea level rise, which are shown in a way reminiscent of viewing through the submarine’s monitors. The periscope, like a tunnel of geological archaeology and prophecy for the future, allows us to observe culture, history, and their ambiguous intersection beyond the limit of space and time.

 

Mixed media installation (wood, stainless steel, wire, computer, screens)

Size: 550 x 248 x 300 cm