Paper sculptures, sound modules, field recordings, interview excerpts, transducers, 2023
Close-up of a child listening within the installation.
Project Description
Agua Notes is a multi-component sound installation incorporating oceanic soundscapes and instrumental textures. It also includes recorded conversations with residents of Jinshan, a coastal town in northern Taiwan, reflecting on the layered realities of living by the sea.
In paper-sculpted structures inspired by sea-eroded caves, audiences encounter an intimate sonic environment with hydrophone recordings from the deep sea, found sounds, and interviews of fishermen and residents, transporting listeners to Jinshan’s fish markets and harbor life, where economic conditions intersect with generational memory and mythology. These sonic elements are collected and spatially arranged into a dynamic narrative that connects personal experiences with the environment, blending abstraction and storytelling to transform listening into a method of engagement, contemplation, and care.
Juming Museum commissioned this project as part of its ongoing commitment to marine education and community engagement in Jinshan.
計畫介紹
《海音集 Agua Notes》是一件融合海洋聲響、器樂及金山居民訪談的多組件聲音裝置。作品透過抽象與具象聲音的編排與混合，營造出寧静悠緩的氛圍，邀請觀者進入關於海洋生活的多重想像。
裝置由一系列紙雕結構組成，其設計靈感來自海蝕洞的肌理，營造出親密的聆聽空間。深海水下錄音傳達海洋的遼闊與深邃，紙雕裝置中的物件聲響則喚起人們對人為活動與海洋生態互動的反思。來自金山的漁民與居民訪談，將聽眾帶入漁市場與港口的日常場景，從中交織出經濟與文化的軌跡。這些口述歷史與民間傳說並置，展現尺度與敘事的轉換，引導觀眾從多元視角思考我們與海洋的關係。
Children listening inside suspended paper sculptures.
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- Installation view of Agua Notes.
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- View of the installation listening zones.
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- Children Art Center, Juming Museum, Taiwan, 2023.
Example Soundtracks
Selected excerpts from Agua Notes. These tracks feature environmental recordings, oral histories, and storytelling, echoing the voices, rhythms, and transformations of coastal life in Jinshan.
迴響傳說 Echoed Legends: Jinshan’s folklore includes Koxinga (國姓爺) tales and the sea’s symbolic power.
藏海微語 Whispers Beneath the Surface: Quiet recollections from sea-foraging elders—stories of harvesting bī lê-á (sea snails) and observing environmental degradation, spoken in gentle tones as if underwater themselves.
港聲魚調 Harbor Chants and Fish Calls: Sound collage of the bustling fish markets, auctions, and daily routines at the harbor. A mix of economic cadence and communal energy from the docks of Jinshan.
濤聲蹦火 Booming Tides, Flickering Fires: An aural journey through the traditional sulfuric fire fishing (蹦火仔 bèng-huó-á) off the coast of Jinshan, capturing the explosive sounds of acetylene flames, crashing waves, and stories shared by veteran fishermen.
浪潮之警 Warning Waves: Testimonies on marine pollution, climate change, and ecological precarity echo with a sense of urgency and reverence for what has been lost or is still at risk.
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- Artist aboard a fishing vessel recording “sulfuric fire fishing” (bèng-huó-á).
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- An explosive flame ignites to attract saury.
Banner for the “Who Is in the Sea” special exhibition is at the Juming Museum. 2023/07/29 – 2024/02/25
Credits
- Artist: Po-Hao Chi
- Paper Sculpture: VVVstudio