Cross-Section Signal Flow
斷面訊號流
2026–
Medium
High-lumen projectors, laser, custom software, sound system
Dimensions
Site-specific projection, dark environment
Category
Historical Cross-Sections are the physical traces of time, showing cycles of organic growth, damage, and rebuilding. Today, we are faced with the invisible yet overwhelming force of a "Data Torrent." The work brings these two forces into collision. High-lumen projectors cast light directly onto the cross-section surface, treating it as a living canvas where "digital strata" emerge — streams of information flowing from upstream and spreading across slopes and walls, forming parasitic and invasive relationships. The flowing digital noise and waterfalls represent a nonstop stream of information. A single sharp laser beam acts as a form of physical intervention and probing; when it strikes the surface, it "shatters" the virtual image, triggering digital splashes and glitches that reveal the fragility of virtual images under physical impact. By day, the cross-section remains its beautiful historical self; by night, light slowly conjures past memories into dialogue with the present. This work creates a landscape where physical and virtual ruins overlap.
Exhibitions
2026 Treasure Hill Light Festival "City of Glimmers", Treasure Hill Artist Village, Taipei (Mar 21 – May 3)
Gallery
Image Courtesy of Taipei | Treasure Hill Artist Village; Photo by BlackBird Imagine Studio
Behind the Scenes
Treasure Hill is a place where history, environmental memory, and the people who lived here all converge — a place that feels inherently right for creating art. It invites artists to bring new dialogues through different languages, perspectives, and media.
Creating at the "Historical Cross-Section" site was deeply personal for me. I have previously made works about places where my father once served and was stationed during wartime — Dynamic Array and Shape of Winds at Beishan Broadcasting Wall in Kinmen. So I deeply understand how important these histories are. I kept asking myself: how can we make people today pause, observe, and truly value these memories? I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to create this new work, Cross-Section Signal Flow, for this place.
A behind-the-scenes moment: during the initial planning phase, we had designed the installation with a large number of LED screens covering the cross-section surface. But after the first day of installation, I stood there looking at the site and started a discussion with my team — we cannot keep going like this.
I felt that approach could not do justice to the original meaning of this historical cross-section; it would cover up its inherent beauty. So the next day, we made a bold decision and removed all the screens we had already installed — over a dozen panels. We prepared high-lumen projectors and weatherproof housings instead, choosing to use light as a more contemporary way to engage in dialogue with this history at night.
During the day, it remains the beautiful historical cross-section that everyone knows. At night, through light, memories of the past slowly emerge and speak to visitors.
I sincerely hope that through this work and the Treasure Hill Light Festival, more young students — whether from nearby NTU, NTUST, or visitors from elsewhere — can see this place more deeply.
I have always believed that no matter how technology or cities develop, history, memory, and the humanities of the past are the foundation of all progress. Just as in my practice of technology art: understanding the past is how we create the future. The history here must not be forgotten — and it cannot be, because it has always been right here.