The “Xizhi” district in New Taipei city literally means “the end of the tide” and was formerly known as “Tsuí-tńg-kha”. In the past, the Keelung River flowed through the Xizhi area and when the tide was high, it would go up the river until Xizhi and then turn back. Ｗhen the night was quiet, the “Tanyin” of the turbulent tide and gravel would be heard. However, with the construction of modern flood control facilities, “Tanyin,” which was described by the locals as “like the sound of a lute”, has disappeared, leaving only the river and the nearby landscape as clues in our search for the sounds of the past.
If we take a closer look, the modern water way in the neighbourhood is often concealed due to flooding remediation or urban development. It is frequently hidden beneath roads or buildings, or even channelled into ditches and drainage systems that eventually merge with other watercourses. Consequently, it is challenging to distinctly define its hydrological source. Whether it is the “Tanyin” or the surrounding hydrological landscapes, these natural phenomena we often take for granted, interact with our sensorium and embody experiences. They are intricately intertwined with human activities and the surrounding environment in which we reside.
In the project Traceability, we invite you to Listen to Tsuí-tńg-kha —- to explore visible and invisible water in our daily lives. Through transmedia storytelling and art methods, we embarked on an experimental journey with a collaboration with Rexizhi Studio team and enthusiastic participants in forms of DIY workshops, field recordings and site-visitings. Throughout the year, we explored various locations connected to urban hydrology, including pumping stations, flood storage tanks, embankments, culverts, ecological trails, and even former coal mine sites in order to delve into the historical context of flooding in the Xizhi area. The journey stimulates us to detangle the intricate relationship between humans, water, and the environment, which eventually inspired us to develop diverse sensory installations and documentation archives.Tracing the origin of a hydrological source is an undefinable journey, there may be not an universal concrete answer in the end but the process reveals multiple point of views and choices, leading us to reconsider those more-than-human dilemmas.
●Art Director: CHI Po Hao
●Co-organizer: CHANG Wen Wei, CHEN Yi Ting, HUANG Pei Chi, LIAO Monkey, SHIH Ya Tien
●Assistant: CHEN Yu Chin, CHEN Ming Ching
●Photographer: LIN Pei Yi
●Videographer:LIU Ren Jie
●Graphic Design: Randi TSAI
●Guide Book Editor: SHIH Ya Tien
●Production Team: Zone Sound Creative Studio, Rexizhi Studio
●Sponsor: National Culture and Arts Foundation (NCAF)
