Sea Inside

2014

Audio-Visual installation,

Size depends on space,

Exhibited at Taitung Art Museum

Legends were told of how our ancestors from many of aboriginal tribes like Amis, Puyuma, Paiwan and Tao came from the sea. For all ethnic groups, the sea symbolizes the origin of life that created associated myths and stories. Even the continuous sound from lapping waves in between sunrise and sunset as well as the roaring tides shape the way we talk and perceive sounds. Taiwan is an island surrounded by the sea and its people have long been influenced by this natural environment and are, therefor, born with strong emotions.

This work films two aboriginal elders (one male Amis and one female Puyuma) telling the stories of tribal sea rituals in their mother tongues. The film uses digital technology to rebuild and combine original materials of the beautiful Taitung coast images into exceptional pictures. This work also applies audio editing to display a random combination of the sea's emotions that seeks to create a flexible organic form and system. However, my ultimate concern was about the meaning of the sea and how it has made or shaped us. Like those who watch far and beyond the blue waters, we are weaving a desired place within us.