house launching celebration. Iraraley, with Shih Lao-Bao, Chung Min-Hsiung and Hsie Li-Dao. Photo by Wolfgang Liebhart, Lanyu 2019.

Chien Hsiang Lin

talking about knowldege production in regard to the Tao people and about the relationship of humans and non humans in a shared environment. (January 2019, Vienna)

Women harvesting Taros on the field in preparation of the house launching celebration. photo by Si Pehbowen, Lanyu 2019

Chien-Hsiang Lin and Janhavi Dhamankar, video by Si Pehbowen, Vienna, 2019

House Launching Celebration

1980 deposit for radioactive waste (蘭嶼儲存場)

established with many scams and the close cooperation of the Taiwan Power Company(台灣電力股份有限公司) and the government (see Rudolph 2003, 103-106).

photo taken by Wei-Ya Lin on August 2008 Lanyu Island

slow anood song, discovered in

https://archives.crem-cnrs.fr/archives

c o n   |   v e r s a t i o n

k n o w l e d g e   |   p r o d u c t i o n

goat catching in preparation of a house launching celebration. Iraraley, Photo by Si Pehbowen, Lanyu 2019

Chien-Ping Kuo, Chiao-Hua Chang and Samu Gryllus, video by Johannes Kretz, Lanyu, 2019

Forest

Chien Ping Kuo leading the team of creative (mis)understandings through the forste of Lanyu island

When the big flood connected us

(Traditional Tao song, unknown author)


Old man is sitting

on a mountain high on

Lanyu, looking towards

Taiwan island.

 

Taiwan and Lanyu are

standing face to face.


Before the big flood

the cypress tree was the

only living thing

on the whole of Taiwan.


Cypress is origin of

humans there.


Their language is exotic

it breaks the tongue.


Taiwan and Lanyu are

standing face to face.

 

Before the big flood

the bamboo was the

only living thing

on the whole of Lanyu.


Lanyu and Taiwan are

standing face to face.


Bamboo is the origin of

Tao here.


Their language is clear,

it doesn’t break the tongue.

it is like the rooster

calling in the morning.


Lanyu and Taiwan are

standing face to face,

 

Old man is sitting

on a mountain high on

Lanyu, looking towards

Taiwan island.

 

Field Research

Map of Lanyu, from https://magic105.pixnet.net/blog/post/41367268

Lanyu, photo by Johannes Kretz, 2019.

Lanyu, photo by Johannes Kretz, 2005.

con | versation – de | fragmentation


Johannes Kretz and Wei-Ya Lin

Abstract

 

Our lecture performance for the SAR conference 2020 in Bergen presents some of the preliminary results of our artistic research project creative (mis)understandings supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF, PEEK). This ongoing project (2018-2021) aims to develop transcultural approaches of inspiration (which we regard as mutually appreciated intentional and reciprocal artistic influence based on solidarity) by combining approaches from contemporary music composition and improvisation with ethnomusicological and sociological research. We encourage creative (mis)understandings emerging from the interaction between research and artistic practice, and between European art music, folk and non-western styles, in particular from the singing practices of the Tao, an indigenous group living on Lanyu island, Taiwan.

 

The path to knowledge production, which has been propagated through colonial structures in the so-called "modernity" (B.Latour), often relies on rigid categorization and anthropocentric ideas of efficiency. This means cutting a holistic image of the world into small fragments and portions of knowledge, and has been leading into ignorance of long-term relationships between humans and non-humans in a shared environment. Therefore we started with de|fragmentation of epistemologies. 

 

During our research we established con|versations (in the original latin meaning: „making turns together“), between the generations of the Tao people, between outsiders and insiders, between experts living in diverse knowledge systems. In these process (mis)understandings often occur, but we see them as potential and fruitful ground for emergence of unexpected perspectives and creations.

 

Our contribution will focus on the following question:

   

Can our con|versation and the aim for de|fragmentation act as a catalyst for new initiatives in transferring knowledge and transforming its manifestations – between both, the different Tao generations, and insiders and outsiders?

 

And how?

 

Wei-Ya Lin

Lanyu Island, Taiwan

Johannes Kretz

Johannes Kretz, Shih Yong-Hsiang, Chien-Ping Kuo and Wang Ching-Ying.

Lullaby sung by Wang Ching-Ying

Workshop with Tao people of different generations

Si Pehbowen

Performance on Lanyu island, September 2019, filmed by Johannes Kretz.

Team of creative (mis)understandings in Ivalino village in the area of traditional houses, Lanyu 2019

Chang Chiao-Hua, Hsie Li-Ya, Si Pehbowen, Matthias Beier, Lin Wei-Ya, Ye Hui, Franz Schubert, Daliah Hindler, Johannes Kretz, Photo by Wolfgang Liebhart, Lanyu 2019.

Sinan Sakayan and Lu Mei-Ying, photo by Johannes Kretz, Lanyu, 2019

d e   |   f r a g m e n t a t i o n

New garbage truck song based on both, Beethoven's "For Elise" and traditional Tao song elements,  composed by Chien-Ping Kuo, Wei-Ya Lin and Johannes Kretz

Garbage truck playing Beethoven's "For Elise" on Lanyu island, 

recorded by Johannes Kretz, Lanyu, 2019.

Garbage truck playing Beethoven's "For Elise" in Taiwan

Garbage Truck Song