Crystal Seeding is a collaborative project by three artists, Hsu Chia-Wei, Cheng Hsien-Yu, and Chang Ting-Tong. Over the course of two years (2020-2021), the artists conducted research at the Huwei Sugar Factory, using the production of sugarcane as a starting point to explore how Huwei Town rose to prominence during the Japanese colonial era. Corporations, such as Dai-Nippon Sugar Manufacturing Co., Ltd., brought the mechanized sugar industry to Taiwan's agricultural heartland and started the process of industrialization. During World War II, the sugar industry was transformed into a military industry. Sugar molasses, originally a byproduct of sugar production, was fermented to become alcohol that powered fighter planes, including the kamikaze units stationed in Huwei Town. At the end of the war, Huwei was devastated by the Allied forces' destructive attacks, with the sugar and alcohol factories and the town itself being bombed. After the war, Taiwan underwent industrial transformation, and the sugar industry entered a decline. The history of the Huwei Sugar Factory is a microcosm of Taiwan's history.
In this project, the artists combined new technologies with folk tradition, blending puppetry, experimental music, and robotic arms to unravel Huwei's hundred-year history in a complex international network. The narrative in the video was adapted from the Japanized puppet show "Kurama Tengu," performed by the Sheng Ping Puppet Troupe. The video also features composer Tak-Cheung Hui playing music inside the Huwei Sugar Factory, transforming the factory into a local "instrument." In the exhibition, which resembles an automatic theater, the multi-channel video installation, lighting, sound, and robotic arms have all become actors in this play. They enter and exit the stage as the story unfolds, serving and portraying different “roles” and “incidents''.
Premiered at Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-LAB), Taipei, 2021
本作品為許家維、張碩尹、鄭先喻共同創作（依姓名筆畫順序）｜劇本改編自：皇民化布袋戲《鞍馬天狗》｜編劇：林政興、張碩尹、許家維｜糖廠室內表演者：余若枚｜布袋戲表演團隊：昇平五洲園｜團長：林政興｜主演：林政興｜操偶師：林政權、林坤寶、陳憲忠、廖先敏、廖穎毅、鍾明良｜服裝設計：林佩瑜｜司鼓：朱南星｜鑼鈔：李慧珍、廖冠評｜嗩吶：吳清秀｜三弦：蔡亞霖｜二胡：李亭萱｜聲音共製：C-LAB台灣聲響實驗室、台藝大聲響實驗中心｜導演：許家維｜聲響製作總監：林經堯｜影片拍攝執行製作：郭宇庭、黃惠婷、徐元彥｜作曲：許德彰｜作曲助理：區志桓｜攝影指導：張能禎｜攝影師：凌瑋隆、蔡弦剛、潘彥安｜燈光師：洪政献｜燈光助理：王錚｜空拍師：陳偉勝、攝視度影像有限公司、齊培丞｜現場收音師：馮志銘、丁啟祐、徐元彥、高勤倫｜360度環景拍攝：黃昱琪、黃郁傑、洪譽豪｜收音助理：戴向諶｜樂器設計：張碩尹、陳亮融｜樂器製作：許少軒、徐瑞謙｜布袋戲佈景師：楊子逸、金祺龍｜置景設計：許紹軒、劉文豪、謝其軒｜行政製作：李雅婷｜日文錄音製作執行：Saki TANAKA｜日文配音員：Tatsuo INOUE｜日文錄音師：Ryota FUJIGUCHI｜日文翻譯：Kaoru UEDA｜英文翻譯：李曉瑋｜影片剪輯：許家維｜聲音設計：許德彰｜後期混音：許德彰、複耳工作室｜數位調光：楊子逸｜展覽技術總監：鄭先喻｜展覽執行製作：廖音喬｜3D列印裝置製作：洽富科技有限公司｜3D列印建模：台藝大科技藝術實驗中心、郭岱維｜投影設計：鄭先喻｜機械手臂提供：上銀科技股份有限公司｜設備贊助：台北數位藝術中心｜拍攝協力：台灣糖業股份有限公司虎尾糖廠｜特別感謝：賴俊良、財團法人中央廣播電台、李天祿布袋戲文教基金會、雲林縣政府文化觀光處｜本作品獲文化部109年度科技藝術創作發展計畫補助
Co-created by Chia-Wei Hsu, Ting-Tong Chang, and Hsien-Yu Cheng (listed in order of Chinese surname stroke count)｜Based on: Puppetry during Japanization, Kurama Tengu｜Screenwriters: Zheng-Xing Lin, Ting-Tong Chang, Chia-Wei Hsu｜Sugar Factory Indoor Performer: Run-Mei Yu｜Puppetry Performance Team: Sheng Ping Puppet Troupe｜Troupe Leader: Zheng-Xing Lin｜Cast: Zheng-Xing Lin｜Puppeteers: Zheng-Quan Lin, Kun-Bao Lin, Xian-Zhong Chen, Xian-Ming Liao, Ying-Yi Liao, Ming-Liang Zhong｜Costume Designer: Pei-Yu Lin｜Drum: Nan-Xing Zhu｜Gong: Hui-Zhen Li, Guan-Ping Liao｜Suona: Qing-Xiu Wu｜Sanxian: Ya-Lin Cai｜Erhu: Ting-Xuan Li｜Sound Co-production: C-LAB Taiwan Sound Lab, Center for Sound Arts and Acoustics Research, National Taiwan University of Arts｜Director: Chia-Wei Hsu｜Sound Director: Jing-Yao Lin｜On-Site Line Producers: Elvis Kuo, Fay Huang, Yuan-Yen Hsu｜Composer: Tak-Cheng Hui｜Assistant Composer: Chi-Sang Au｜Director of Photography: Neng-Zen Chang｜Cinematographers: Wei-Lung Lin, Hsuan-Kan Tsai, Yen-An Pan｜Gaffer: Yu-Chi Hung｜Best Boy: Cheng Wang｜Aerial Photography: Wyeson Tan, VACs-Joseph CI, Pei-Cheng Chi｜On-site Sound: Zi-Ming Feng, Dean Chi-You, Yuan-Yen Hsu, Vince Kao｜360° Panorama: Yu-Chi Huang, Yu-Jie Huang, Yu-Hao Hung｜Boom Operator: Immanuel Dannenbring｜Instrument Designers: Ting-Tong Chang, Liang-Jung Chen｜Instrument Makers: Shao-Hsuan Hsu, Jui-Chien Hsu｜Puppetry Scenic Artists: Tzu-Yi Yang, Chi-Lung Jin｜Set Designers: Shao-Hsuan Hsu, Wen-Hao Liu, Chi-Hsuan Hsieh｜Executive Producer: Leah Lee｜Japanese ADR Producer: Saki Tanaka｜Japanese Voice Actor: Tatsuo Inoue｜Japanese Recording Engineer: Ryota Fujiguchi｜Japanese Translator: Kaoru Ueda｜English Translator: Wei Lee｜Film Editor: Chia-Wei Hsu｜Sound Designer: Tak-Cheung Hui｜Sound Mixing: Tak-Cheung Hui, Mothra Productions｜Colorist: Tzu-Yi Yang｜Exhibition Technical Director: Hsien-Yu Cheng｜Exhibition Coordinator: Yin-Chiao Liao｜3D Printing Machine Manufacturer: CheerFour Technology Co., Ltd.｜3D Modelling: Digital Art Education Center, National Taiwan University of Arts, David Kao｜Mapping Designer: Hsien-Yu Cheng｜Robotic Arm Supplier: HIWIN Technologies Corp.｜Equipment Support: Taipei Digital Art Center｜Filming Cooperation: Taiwan Sugar Corporation Huwei Sugar Factory｜Special Thanks: Chun-Liang Lai, Radio Taiwan International, Li Tien-Lu Hand Puppet Foundation, Cultural Affairs Department, Yunlin County Government｜Supported by the Ministry of Culture’s 2020 Technological Art Creation Development Program
https://www.taisugar.com.tw/monthly/CPN.aspx?ms=1478&p=13388644&s=13388671
https://clab.org.tw/news/futuremediaarts/
https://mag.clab.org.tw/clabo-wave/crystal-seeding/
https://artouch.com/art-views/art-exhibition/content-50675.html
https://www.wowlavie.com/article/ae2101651