Work> The Right Way To Navigate
Explore natural ecology through public (Art), released in 2023.
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The Romantic Route 3 is an Art Festival that spans 150 km, from Taipei, Taoyuan, to Hsinchu, Miaoli, and Taichung. Viewing Route 3 (Provincial Highway 3) as fertile soil, domestic and foreign teams, as well as local teams gather here. Ultra Combos collaborated with artist Yunyu Ayo Shih and set up an art installation at Zhudong Xinyi Carpark, which is one of the exhibition areas for the Art Festival. Combining digital sensing, light, and 3D devices, we interpreted a virtual animal trail in an artificial space.
When man-made roads become a necessary construction to connect two spaces, for movement and transport, is it possible for those natural animal trails that have been forcibly destroyed to reappear? Realizing that the establishment of existing animal trails relies entirely on the results of human observation and the statistics on roadkills, the team established “The Right Way to Navigate” for pedestrians at the center of where vehicles have to make a turn to head up or down a level within the parking lot. Combining digital sensing, light and 3D devices, we interpreted a virtual animal trail that flows through an artificial space. This "navigation" all the way up not only reproduces/simulates animal life in the shallow mountain areas, but also leads people to think about the breathing of those animals that are further and further away from us.
As a necessary infrastructure for modern urban and urban-rural development, the construction of man-made road systems, on one hand, plays the role of connecting to spaces and transporting people and goods, but on the other, it also forcibly separates natural landscapes and cuts off existing native animal trails. And due to urban planning, when flat cement car lanes are built for the transportation of immigrants/settlers and when vertical multi-storey car parks are erected, shouldn’t we once again remember those natural trails belonging to animals that have been destroyed and forgotten by humans?
Ironically, the basis for the establishment of existing "animal trails" is actually completely dependent on the results of human observation and statistics on roadkills. In other words, death is often the first point of contact between humans and wild animals in modern society. Inspired by this, artist Yunyu Ayo Shih and Ultra Combos used "animal trails" as the theme for this project. Combining the results of existing ecological surveys with on-the-spot visitations in Zhudong, Hsinchu, we established an installation that runs vertically through the center of the pedestrian corridor and vehicular traffic at Zhudong Xinyi Carpark. Combining digital sensing, electronic screens, light and composite media, we interpreted a virtual animal trail that flows through an artificial lane.
- Research in the early stages - Bitanyan Fish Way, Xindian River
- Research in the early stages - Wildlife Corridors at Yangmingshan National Park
There is a set of composite media installations extending upward on the second, third, and fourth floors of the parking lot. The exterior of the installations is placed close to the columns, which is assembled in the form of building blocks. The details of the installation style are inspired by different types of ecological corridors (mammals, fish ladders, and flying animals). There are LED screens and lighting devices within the installation, and the lighted dots in the installation mimic the shapes and movement trajectories of animals.
In terms of interactive design, we hope that everyone could head back to the experience of coming in contact with animals that they had as children, where they waited patiently and attentively or explored ways to get along with animals. Therefore, in addition to the original rhythm of the light's movement, the light will also produce different reactions, depending on the speed and distance of people and vehicles sensed by the sensors on the installations. People can explore the rules of interaction with the installations on each floor.
- An animated short film introducing the location of the art installations, ways to interact, and the process of building the animal trails is placed at the entrance.
- LED screens and light strips are placed within the columns to simulate the movement of animals.
- Process of building the columns.
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