Programs

Samsara

Director : Hsin-Chien Huang

“Samsara” was created in 2021 when the world was entering the post-COVID-19 era and the social atmosphere was still unstable. Using “embodied cognition” as an underlying concept, the work is intended to make people feel the interaction between body and mind. During the story, the viewer transitions between different characters such as an infant, a refugee, a man in power, and a person being persecuted. As the context of time and space changes, the repeated identity transformation leads the audience to reflect on and explore the essence of life.
Prix Ars Electronica was founded in 1987 and is known as the Oscars of the electronic arts industry. It is an interdisciplinary platform for professionals to experiment with design and creation at artistic, technical and social levels using the medium of computers. This year’s theme is called “Welcome to Planet B” and explores these questions: If humanity overcomes the difficulties of the 21st century, what will our way of life or society look like? Where will the progress of politics, society, culture and technology take us, and how will we behave?”
The Ars Electronica Festival gathers top works from different countries, performance forms, styles, and thinking. Taiwan’s cross-disciplinary creative energy is on the path to play a pivotal role in creating a global metaverse along with more dialogue, excitement and possibilities.

“Samsara” was awarded the jury’s Honorary Mention prize in the “Computer Animation” category! “Bodyless” won the same award in 2020, so this is our second time winning the award but with a different work. Special thanks to the Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) and the Kaohsiung Film Archive for their ongoing support of this work.

SANDBOX

Director : Peppercorns Interactive Media Art Inc.

The name of the work “Sandbox” comes from the safe environment established when computer programs are designed, which can block destructive accidents and possible risks.

At the beginning of the work, the pictographic character “人” composed of many Chinese characters is the main visual, and then the process of establishing civilization is presented with animation and sound.

Civilization is a term invented by human beings. Tracing back to the source, people go from individuals to partners, groups, races, and establish countries. People use words and languages to communicate, record history, and accumulate wisdom. Civilization seems to be often understood as building big cities, or technological development. The work tries to propose a possibility of thinking. If civilization can be re-established, is there any other possibility?

Blue Tear in Deep Space 8K

Director : Hsiao-Yue Tsao

Combining an old tale of the sea, this story is based on the unique wonder in Matzu, the BlueTears. A touching love story, where in order to keep the promise to give the heroine a good life, the naïve hero becomes greedy and dies in a shipwreck; sacrificing his life for wealth. The appearance of the blue tears – symbolizing an alien species – implies the sadness over global warming. The love between the two main characters makes them fall into different pathways, also creating an eternal paradox of materials and souls. As the narrative develops, the audience can interact with the blue tears in the ocean by touching and witnessing this tragic but beautiful storyline; creating a fulfilling VR experience along with the main characters.