石頭與大象 Stones and Elephants

石頭與大象 Stones and Elephants

雙頻道錄像裝置，即時線上搜尋程式，大圖輸出

Two-channel video installation, real-time online searching programme, wall graphic

13'，2019

本作品由2019新加坡雙年展委託製作。協同卡蒂斯特藝術基金會發展合作計畫Frequency of Tradition，此為Hyunjin Kim策劃的三年期計畫，將於亞洲地區舉行一系列研討會、藝術委託計劃和展覽。

Commissioned by the 2019 Singapore Biennale in collaboration with KADIST as part of Frequency of Tradition, curated by Hyunjin Kim, a three-year series of seminars, commissions, and exhibitions across Asia.

Stones and Elephants is derived from the Malay classic The Hikayat Abdullah. The author Abdullah, who once served as the secretary of Resident William Farquhar, chronicled his life in Malaysia and published his writings in 1849. This art piece excerpted two chapters from this literary classic to serve as narration. 'Melaka Fort' depicts how the British destroyed the strong fortress to weaken Malacca and return control of the region to the Dutch East India Company. In the next chapter, Abdullah describes the locals, William Farquhar and his interest in ecology, especially the scene of hiring a Malay shaman to order a round-up of elephants.


In this piece, the artist invited a Malay shaman to read these two stories in Malay as a voice-over and to pray for a peaceful filming trip. The rituals were held in two places. The first was located in the atrium inside the Malacca Museum of History and Ethnology. This was William Farquhar's office area in Malacca at that time, where he conducted official business. The other was using an airborne drone on the grass near the transmission tower. The unique perspective offered by the drone allowed, on the one hand, the drone and the transmission tower to serve complementary roles as tools of photography. On the other hand, the tower also fulfilled an anthropomorphic role in the film, creating a unique relationship between the human (the Malay shaman) and the non-human (the drone). Apart from the pictures taken by the drone, other materials are also included in the piece. The first is the elephant mentioned in The Hikayat Abdullah, and another is the transmission tower near the museum. The drone depends on the tower as the source of its signals, but the drone also cannot venture too close to the tower for fear of signal interference.


This work is a two-channel video installation. During the exhibition, visitors must be connected to the Internet to search for keywords related to this work. Changes to the network and visitors' daily lives will occur as the exhibition goes on, and consequently, the contents and results of the online searches will also become different. This networking technology corresponds strongly with the network between the transmission tower and the drone in the film. However, it is also still being determined whether the story in the narration happened in actuality. The artist can only use technology and the Internet as a vessel for memories. As the narration states, 'all these have passed, showing that everything is such fragile.' Algorithms ensure that every keyword search will show different results, presenting a bit of truth among the uncertainty of this work. Through this, an attempt is made to retrace historical scenes that have been lost to time.

《石頭與大象》的故事背景援引於馬來新文學經典《阿都拉傳》，作者阿都拉曾擔任馬六甲行政首長法誇爾的秘書，他將在馬來西亞生活的所見所聞記錄下來，此經典於1849年出版。此作品截取其中兩章節作為旁白：馬六甲城牆 一章中，描述了英國人如何破壞堅固的馬六甲要塞以削弱馬六甲，並將其歸還給荷蘭東印度公司；下一章中，他描繪了馬六甲當地居民、威廉・法誇爾與他在生態學方面的興趣，特別是雇用巫師圍捕大象的情景。

在這件創作中，藝術家請到馬來巫師以馬來文朗讀此兩段故事做為畫外音，並為拍攝過程祈福。祈福的地點有二，其一位於現在馬六甲歷史與民族學博物館內的中庭，此處為威廉・法誇爾當時在麻六甲的辦公室區域。其二則是鄰近電塔的草地上，透過空拍機的特殊視點，一方面空拍機與電塔相輔相成做為攝影機具，另一方面也是作為影片中擬人化的演員，形成人（馬來巫師）與非人（空拍機）之間的交流。除了空拍機所拍攝的畫面，還包括了不同的素材，其一是在《阿都拉傳》中提到的動物 - 大象，其二是在博物館附近的電塔。電塔作為訊號來源，既是空拍機訊號傳輸的依賴對象，卻又不能與其距離太近以免受到干擾。

此作品為雙頻道錄像裝置，在展出時需連接網路，才能針對與作品相關的關鍵字進行搜尋。隨著展出的時間拉長、網路和生活的變化，搜尋的內容也將有所不同，以此網絡技術與影像中的電塔網絡有所交互及呼應。而影片旁白所講述的內容是否真實發生其實也未可知，藝術家只能透過科技網絡作為記憶載體，如同旁白中提及：「這些都已經不在，顯示著這世上的事情是多麽易逝。」透過程式運算，每次的關鍵字搜尋都有所不同，呈現此作品不確定性中的一絲真實，藉此試圖回溯已不可考的歷史情景。

本作品於2019年11月19日新加坡雙年展現場首次呈現。 

本作品於2019年11月19日新加坡雙年展現場首次呈現。 

截至2019年的工作路徑 Work Paths Until 2019

截至2019年的工作路徑 Work Paths Until 2019

裝置 Installation，尺寸依場地而定 Dimension Variable，2019 

Hsu Chia-Wei’s 2008 The Story of Hoping Island centred on the shipyard on Hoping Island, under which lay the 17th-century fortress rebuilt by the Dutch East India Company. Hsu’s creative process has focused on traces leading from this starting point for the past two years. This installation depicts a network of relationships from the initial archaeological site, describing a map of movements as well. The elaborate network extends from Hoping Island across Asia, comprising the Dutch Governor’s House in Malacca built in 1641, the Fort Noord-Holland rebuilt in 1642, and the war between Cambodia and the Dutch in 1644. We also trace relationships between Malacca and William Farquhar of the British East India Company, elephants and Malayan tapirs, the shared Classical Chinese character for both “tapir” and “panda,” and connections between the Dutch East India Company, deerskins, Taiwan and Sengoku-period Japan. These dynamic connections crossing space and time become key images, with three archaeological scenes from the underwater to high mountains as background, featuring in the central map of this exhibition, with connections ever-increasing through the creative process-a use of the modern-day digital internet of Things to peer into the colonial Network of Things.


許家維2008年的作品《和平島故事》曾拍攝和平島上的造船廠，這地點下方埋藏了十七世紀荷蘭東印度公司的北荷蘭城，從此線索出發，成為他近兩年的創作方向。這裝置呈現藝術家從和平島的考古事件所擴展出的關係圖，也是某種行動的路徑。從和平島延伸至亞洲區域，交織出複雜的關係網絡，例如1641年建造的麻六甲荷蘭總督府、1642年改建的北荷蘭城以及1644年發生的柬荷大戰，這三者之間的關聯；麻六甲與英國東印度公司總督威廉・法夸爾（William Farquhar）、大象、馬來貘之間的關係；馬來貘與熊貓在字源學上的同源；荷蘭東印度公司、鹿皮、台灣與日本戰國時代的連結等等。這些跨越時空的元素成為關鍵字影像，以水下到高山的三種考古現場作為背景，在關係圖中呈現出相互的動態連結，並隨著創作行動的過程中不斷增生，試圖以今日數位的物聯網思考方式，觀看殖民時代的物聯網。 

黃宏錡攝影  北師美術館提供

黃宏錡攝影  北師美術館提供

武士與鹿 Samurai and Deer

武士與鹿 Samurai and Deer

雙頻道錄像裝置 two-channel video installation，8’50”，2019

Taking as its launch point the trading network of the 17th century, this work traces the common commodity of deerskin through hyperconnections transcending time and space. Since European coinage was not popularly accepted in 17th-century Asia, the Dutch East India Company relied on instead of barter, for example, trading Indonesian spices for Taiwanese deerskins and reselling large quantities of deer skins in Japan for silver, and finally using this silver as capital for further trade.

Deerskin was in high demand in Japan, as Edo-period samurai culture consumed large quantities of armour, accessories, and clothing. Yet after years of overhunting, Taiwan could not keep up with the demand for deerskins in Japan. As such, the Dutch East India Company searched for alternative sources, finally coming to Phnom Penh in Cambodia in an attempt to corner the deerskin market. As a result, they came into conflict with the Cambodian king, who launched a series of naval wars from 1643 to 1644 along the Mekong River to expel the Dutch East India Company and, in the end, succeeded in their efforts.

The deerskin trade brought samurai culture, Dutch-Cambodian wars, and Taiwan into a complicated, interconnected relationship, which the artist has brought into the contemporary age. Videos shot in Cambodian and Japan include oral narratives from keepers at the Phnom Penh zoo, aerial footage of the Mekong River at the location where the Dutch and Cambodian armies fought, and modern-day cargo ships carrying gravel, as well as interview and handicraft footage from a Tokyo samurai armour workshop, and the images of underwater archaeology and the shipwreck. Four video windows with different hues connect each other crossing time and space.

作品從十七世紀的貿易體系作為切入點，以當時流通的鹿皮作為線索，展開一個跨越文化與時空的超連結。十七世紀歐洲貨幣在亞洲並不受到歡迎，荷蘭東印度公司提出了「以物易物」的交易方法，例如從印尼得到香料，以換取台灣的鹿皮，再將大量的鹿皮運往日本出售，換取白銀，之後便以換取的白銀作為資本，繼續投入下一輪的貿易。

當時日本有大量的鹿皮需求，源自江戶時代的武士文化中，鹿皮被大量使用於武士的盔甲、配件與陣羽織等衣物。但經過幾年的濫捕，台灣的鹿皮產量已無法滿足日本的需求，荷蘭東印度公司便開始尋找其他的鹿皮來源，於是來到柬埔寨的金邊，企圖主導鹿皮市場。在此背景下，荷蘭東印度公司與柬埔寨發生了激烈的衝突，柬埔寨國王開始一場趕走荷蘭東印度公司的戰爭。從1643年到1644年間柬埔寨人與荷蘭人在湄公河一帶，發生海戰，這場戰役最終由柬埔寨人贏得勝利。

鹿皮的交易串起了武士文化、柬荷大戰與台灣的複雜關係。從這個線索出發，藝術家進一步開展出當代的連結。影片拍攝於柬埔寨與日本兩地，包括了金邊動物園與管理員的口述；當時柬荷大戰原址的湄公河空拍影像，以及今日的砂石貿易貨輪；也拍攝了東京的武士甲冑工坊，包含甲冑製作過程與訪談；另外也包括了水下考古以及沈船的影像。四段不同色調的影像，在游移的過程中，以跨越時空的方式連結。

黃宏錡攝影 北師美術館提供

馬來貘 - 畫布三幅 Malayan Tapir on Canvas Tri-Set

In the seventeenth century, European countries expanded their maritime trade and economic path to Asia. In addition to the flow of merchandise, the development of knowledge systems such as biology and science was also linked with the growing trade expansion. From Macao, Natural History Drawings, which were used to record the ecology of animals and plants, were introduced to China. The first commander of the British East India Company, Mr William Farquhar, who was sent to Malacca, hired a Chinese painter to record the flora and fauna of the Peninsula of Malaysia. This collection of natural history has become a valuable resource for understanding the ecology and history of this time.

Today the Natural History Drawings of the colonial period are an essential basis for understanding the life forms of the past. Many animals and plants were also included in a scientific system and named according to their characteristics. These Natural History Drawings were closely linked to science and art, and the advancement of art techniques led to the further development of science. As we can see in this collection, the close connection of science, art, commerce, and politics in the colonial era is akin to today's "Internet of Things", which connects various events or individuals together.

With modern technology, the artist uses the narrative of Natural History Drawings, combining various images, technology products, software backgrounds and Natural History Drawings using the collage technique.

十七世紀歐洲國家拓展海上貿易與經濟的路徑來到亞洲，除了商品貨物的流動，也連動著生物學、科學等知識系統建立的發展。當時用來記錄動植物生態的自然歷史繪畫從澳門傳入中國。英國東印度公司派任麻六甲的第一任司令威廉・法夸爾（William Farquhar） 則曾經雇用中國畫師，繪製馬來西亞半島的動植物，這一系列的收藏成為現今了解當時生態與歷史的重要自然歷史繪畫。

殖民時期的自然歷史繪畫是現今理解當時生物的依據與方法。動植物也進入科學系統，依據其特徵分類命名。自然歷史繪畫緊密連結科學與藝術，藝術技法的精進促成科學的發展。這一系列的收藏記述殖民時期科學、藝術、貿易與政治的網絡，也如同當今的物聯網，將異質的事件或個體相互連結。

藝術家透過現代技術開展自然歷史繪畫的敘事，運用拼貼、合成的方式將網路影像、科技產品、繪圖軟體後台與自然歷史繪畫組合，以傳統廣告的形式懸掛展出。

黃宏錡攝影 北師美術館提供

陽光沙灘上的糖棕 Sugar Palms on the Sunny Beach

金屬支架 Metal Bracket、藝術微噴於畫布 C-print on Canvas， 133.5 (H) x 99 (W) x 14.5 (THK) cm，2019

The protagonist in Hsu's Work: Sugar Palms on the Sunny Beach, is a native plant in Southeast Asia. This fruit can make sugar, and its juice can also extract alcohol. This plant is also an important cash crop in the region. In today's consumer society impression, palm trees, ocean, beach, sun and birds create a kind of holiday imagination. Between these palm trees, we can find various birds, such as the "Oriental bay owl", the "Chestnut-breasted Malkoha", the "Woodpecker", the "black-and-red broadbill", the "Rufous-Winged Philentoma" and the "Asian Paradise-flycatcher".

《陽光沙灘上的糖棕》的主角糖棕是是原生於東南亞地區的植物，他的果實可以用來製糖，其汁液也可以用來提煉酒精，是該地區重要的經濟作物。而在現今消費社會的印象中，棕梠樹帶來另一種度假的想像，與海洋、沙灘、陽光、鳥叫緊密連結，而栗鴞、棕胸地鵑、啄木鳥、黑紅闊嘴鳥、鶲鵙與壽帶鳥棲身於棕梠樹之間。

秘境森林中的幼年馬來貘 The Small Malayan Tapir in the Mystery Forest

金屬支架 Metal Bracket、藝術微噴於畫布 C-print on Canvas，133.5 (H) x 99 (W) x 14.5 (THK) cm，2019

Several animals such as The seabird "Tern", "Slow Loris", the "Dark-Handed Gibbon" and the Small "Malayan Tapir" appear in Hsu's Work: The Small Malayan Tapir in the Mystery Forest. The Small Malayan Tapir's body pattern differs from the Adult Malayan Tapir. These tiny white spots and lines scattered on the brown body are a protective colour that helps the Tapir disappear in the forest. After the Malayan Tapir grows into adulthood, his white spots gradually fade away and turn into familiar black-and-white shapes.

燕鷗、懶猴、黑掌長臂猿與幼年馬來貘一同現身於《秘境森林中的幼年馬來貘》中。幼年馬來貘的身體花紋不同於成年馬來貘，白色的斑點與線條錯落在棕色身軀上，成為他們居住在森林中的保護色。馬來貘長至成年之後，身體的白色斑點會逐漸褪去，轉變成我們熟悉的黑白色塊。

成年馬來貘在群山之中 The Adult Malayan Tapir is Surrounded by Mountains

金屬支架 Metal Bracket、藝術微噴於畫布 C-print on Canvas，99 (H) x 133.5 (H) x 14.5 (THK) cm，2019

In The Adult Malayan Tapir is Surrounded by Mountains, a tree-dwelling mammal "Mole", a "Pangolin", the "Grey-Cheeked Flying Squirrel" and the "House Mouse" are surrounded by mountains in the forest. In the centre, a big Malayan Tapir steps out of the TV screen and enters the canvas world.

《成年馬來貘在群山之中》有鼯鼠、穿山甲、飛鼠與家鼠共同身在群山環繞的森林裡。大馬來貘從電視畫面中邁開步伐至森林之中，進入這個懸浮的畫布世界之中。