Final Results

The Development of the Sub-Research Projects

The team’s proposed methodology, Extended AGNI (Kretz 2017, after Bhagwati 2005), was adapted throughout the project. The extended method of using artistic fieldwork, such as artistic protocols and documentations, enriched artistic creations and enabled an easier access for communication in the field. On the other hand, the attempt of combining interview and survey experiments with performing sounds in the public spaces on Lanyu has been proven as unrealistic as the Tao value system does not encourage public performances. Therefore, alternative strategies for dialogical art production were developed. Similarly, the idea of working on a common system of notation or musical grammar turned out to be too far from the Tao’s concepts and habits, therefore requiring further adaptation. Successful sub-projects included:

1.  The Tao Classroom: A platform for the exchange of knowledge and singing practices between Tao from different age groups and genders. This sub-project focused on transmitting traditional songs to the younger generation. Traditional songs are one of the Tao’s most important cultural assets, representing a collective archive of traditional knowledge. The project successfully continues independently, bridging the generation gap caused by discriminatory education policies in Taiwan and certain Tao taboos. It has sparked ongoing activities of cultural transfer between generations.

2.  Dialogue Research: An artistic ‘ping-pong’ exchange between Tao and Europe-based artists where small artistic works were sent back and forth, each one responding to the previous.

3.  Transformation and Scalable Compositions: A series of studies on Tao songs, starting with the scholarly translation of song texts and later transforming them into various genres (rap, ballads, contemporary compositions, lecture performances, etc.). Feedback was collected from Tao of different generations, and the project also commissioned songs from the rock band Wild Thing, led by a Tao singer.

Changes to the Original Project Plan

Due to the pandemic, the project’s duration was extended significantly. Travel to and from Taiwan was severely restricted, with long quarantine periods, making multiple fieldwork visits difficult. This forced the team to rely on online meetings and to postpone or reduce the number of research trips. Additionally, there were personnel changes due to the team members’ life changes, such as relocations, changes in residency permits and illness. Fortunately, the project leaders were able to fill open positions with other experts from their network.

The closing presentations in Vienna and Budapest were challenging to organise due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns. Originally, two larger closing presentations were planned for Taiwan, but the pandemic made long-term planning impossible, resulting in a more symbolic closing presentation on Lanyu Island.

The Results and Academic Outlook

1.  The project successfully established a reference model for transcultural artistic research (or ethnographically informed creation practice). Despite the complexities of the Tao value system, full of taboos and difficult life situations, the team developed strategies for fruitful collaboration – even during the pandemic.

2.  The project, along with the PEEK project Rotting Sounds, played a key role in establishing artistic research at the mdw. In 2020, the Artistic Research Center (ARC) and the Dr. Artium Program were launched at the mdw. Various activities – such as lecture series and symposia, as well as the hosting of the SAR Conference in 2021 – were a direct or an indirect result of this project.

3.  A logical continuation of this project would be to further explore the relationship between art/culture and nature (Descola 2013; Latour 2013) in transcultural artistic research. While many projects focus on bringing nature into concert halls as a response to the Anthropocene, an alternative approach could involve bringing artists into nature with the support of indigenous communities, fostering a meaningful engagement.

4.  The numerous presentations given during the project and the three closing presentations in Europe and Taiwan attracted significant interest. The team received invitations for guest lectures, conferences and project presentations. At the mdw, there is growing interest in artistic dissertations within the Dr. Artium Program, which focuses on the intersection of ethnomusicology, composition and interpretation. This interest is, in part, a direct result of this project.

Effects beyond Academia

1.             On Lanyu Island, the dialogue platform the Tao Classroom has continued under the name the Tao Forum. It plays a crucial role in bridging the generational gap within the Tao community and promoting the transfer of traditional knowledge and songs.

2.             The largest and most important collection of Tao traditional songs, recorded by Véronique Arnaud and hosted by the CREM, is now publicly available online, including providing access for the Tao community. Our project team held workshops on Lanyu to teach people how to access this archive, with coverage by the Taiwanese indigenous TV station TITV (2023).

3.             Tao team member Siaman Vonganyan (Han name: Chien-Ping Kuo) continues to transcribe and translate Tao song texts, with plans to publish this extensive corpus in 2025.

4.             Of course, it would be preferable to preserve and pass on the original songs in the original language. But this is very difficult in the case of the Tao for several reasons: firstly, the songs of the Tao cannot really be separated from their traditional ways of living, such as traditional farming, fishing and building houses and boats. Since these practices are being rapidly transformed and modernised due to changing living conditions, especially for young Tao, and due to governmental policies, this is – according to both young and old Tao representatives – highly unrealistic (sources: field research by Wei-Ya Lin and Johannes Kretz, interviews with Chien-Ping Kuo on 22nd August 2018, Si Pehbowen on 23rd August 2018 and Sinan Sakayan on 20th September 2018). On Lanyu, it is a fact that only older people speak the native language of the Tao fluently, and only very elderly people are also fluent in the old style of this language, which is used in a large part of the traditional song repertoire. Secondly, one should avoid drawing quick parallels between other indigenous communities and the Tao. In the team’s observations and interviews over many years (2005–2024), many strategies of culture and/or language preservation or revitalisation that might have proven successful with other communities are much more difficult to apply in the context of the Tao. The reason for this is that most Tao parents are not convinced that the Tao language and traditional knowledge would enrich their children’s lives nowadays, and even the elder Tao are sceptical. The project developed a method for the transformative translation of traditional Tao songs. The original texts are highly condensed, containing references to historical facts, mythological ideas and Lanyu’s context. To translate these songs into different genres (such as rap or pop) and for a different audience (including younger Tao who are unfamiliar with the original context), the background information must be embedded into the translated text. The team developed strategies to expand the text while preserving the traditional knowledge embedded in the old songs.

5.             The Tao performers expressed that participating in the closing performances in Europe inspired them to intensify the creation of cultural frameworks within their community. Today, more and more young Tao are motivated to join traditional music and dance practices for performances on Lanyu.

6.             The project has also sparked numerous music- and dance-related initiatives on Lanyu, including singing workshops, performing groups, and applied music research projects.

7.             Follow-up events include lecture and performance invitations for project team members, a second performance tour invitation for the Tao in Austria and Lithuania (May 2024) and ongoing art projects related to the Tao by Europe-based team members.

8.             Junior team member Si Pehbowen (Han name: Zheng Kuo) has observed changes on Lanyu before and after the project. She notes that her generation has developed an interest in listening to and discussing transformed traditional music from other indigenous societies around the world. She summarises that this project challenged the mindset of ‘preserving the original Tao culture’ as an unchanging entity. If the Tao no longer live in the same traditional ways, how can the original culture be preserved? This project has encouraged reflection on this mindset and opened the door to exploring sustainable ways to preserve traditional knowledge in the future.

9.             Austrian Radio Ö1 presented the project in a ‘one-hour feature broadcast ‘Zeitton” (2023).