C-LAB CREATORS ""System of Conductors"" project will make a trip to Kinmen in July to find ""Horseshoe crabs""!
Oceanographer, Mr. YANG Ming-Che, will provide on-site ecological interpretation, and the ""Lám-Nuā Reading"" will lead the ""A Field Guide for Weathering"". From a molecular perspective, we will delve into intertidal ecology, further analyze the vaccine application of horseshoe crab’s blood and the sand extraction crisis in wetlands.
Beneath their helmet-like shells, what flows away bit by bit is not only living fossils and their habitats but also a soulful test between matter and value. We hope to invite those of you who deeply appreciate perseverance, hard work, and the suppressed character to participate together. Your motivation for registration is an important basis for our meeting, and we look forward to this journey opening up a firsthand ecological sensory perspective for us.
The event will provide accommodation and meals in Kinmen for two days and one night, as well as a subsidy of 2,000 NTD for flight expenses. There are limited spots available for six participants, so hurry and sign up!
☀ Date: 2nd.-3th. July
☀ Location: Kinmen
☀ Duration: 2 Days+1 Night
☀ Speaker: Ming-Che YANG
☀ Registration:https://reurl.cc/3OvQdV
▎ Project Planning: Jui-Lan YAO
▎ Visual Design: Jui-Lan YAO
▎ Organizer: Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-LAB)
▎ This project is supported by Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab
▎ Special Thanks: FEELed LAB, Fisheries Research Institute, Kinmen Country, Kinmen House of Old Tiles No 4, Artist Pei-Yin LIN
◉【WALKing with Horseshoe Crabs】
The first stop of our ""FEELed WALK"" will reach the intertidal zone of Kinmen Island to search for the endangered living fossil, the Horseshoe Crabs. We invite Pro. Yang Ming-che, who has dedicated years to the conservation of Horseshoe Crabs, to lead us on an eco-tour to observe these creatures in their natural habitat.
In the year 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for horseshoe crab blood, which contains LPS-binding protein that is used in medical supplies and synthetic drug testing for bacterial endotoxin contamination, has increased globally. The ""LAL test reagent"" derived from horseshoe crab blood has become an indispensable biological reagent in the vaccine production process. Just like the Taiwanese IC industry that cannot collapse even if the pandemic paralyzes the world, horseshoe crab blood has become the biggest support for this two-year virus battle, but it has also accelerated their extinction. On the other hand, the disappearance of habitats due to coastal development on the island and illegal sand mining on the opposite shore are also major causes of the ecological decline of horseshoe crabs. Currently, only Penghu, Kinmen, and the coastal areas of Chiayi have few young horseshoe crabs left, among which Kinmen has the largest population.
◉【FEELed WALK】
FEELed WALK inspired by The FEELed LAB, the Weathering Collective (Jennifer Mae Hamilton and Astrida Neimanis) has published A Field Guide for Weathering: Embodied Tactics for Collectives of Two or More Humans, a fun approach towards observing and caring for our bodies’ different needs. Through play, revising and researching new possibilities together, they set to awaken 'explosive new constellations of want’. Attuning our five senses to more lively, diverse and personal approaches towards climate change, and supporting the co-existence of Others, this workshop acts as a microcosmic weather observation station at the Kinmen shoreline where horseshoe crabs live.
◉【Itinerary】
This year's tide table predicts a full moon on July 3rd in Shuitou, resulting in the largest tidal range between high and low tide around that date. The lowest tide will occur at 5:54 am, and the highest tide at 11:38 am on July 3rd. We plan to conduct field observations in the intertidal zone around 5 am.
On the afternoon of July 2nd, please arrive at the Shuitou Old House one by one for check-in. After dinner, marine scientist Professor Ming-Jer Yang will introduce the ecological challenges faced by sea turtles and the necessary observations to the participants. We will then rest for the night.
On July 3rd, we will gather at 5 am to search for Horseshoe Crabs by motorcycles in the intertidal zone. And will return to the coast, “Lám-Nuā” will lead us to practice ""A Field Guide for Weathering"". After lunch, we will visit the Horseshoe Crabs research facility at the Fisheries Research Institute of Kinmen. That will be our final stop, and participants are free to engage in their own activities.
◉【Oceanographer】
🦀 Ming-Che YANG, Oceanographer, PHD in Oceanography Institute of NTU, Adjunct Assistant Professor in Providence University, and researcher in Academia Sinica. His research field includes ‘evolutionary history’, ‘phylogeography’, ‘conservation genetics’, ‘marine reserve network’... of Horseshoe Crabs in the Indo-West Pacific. Now he devotes himself to conservative movement of Horseshoe Crabs.
INTERVIEW：https://www.scimonth.com.tw/archives/5376
◉【Project Pioneer】
💫 Jui-Lan YAO, artist, pioneer of “System of Conductors”, M.F.A. in New Media Arts, TNUA. Her works combine the experience from Chinese painting, media art, and interactive technology. Her recent interests focus on technical material, extractive economy, and metaphoric behind technology development. YAO made her solo exhibition “GDR Service” in 2019. Her artist in residence experience includes STUPIN.ORG (TAV, 2017), “Peripheralized People: Solastalgia between Taiwan and Nepal III,” (NexUs Culture Nepal, 2019), CREATORS project (C-LAB ,2023). Her artworks were exhibited in “Relocating Divinity” (2019), “the Taiwan Biennial” (2020), “Dear Block Chen“ (Solid Art, 2021). Her writing on art and interviews has been published on several platforms including “No Man’s Land”, and “Nanyang Radio Podcast”.
◉【Notification】
💦Limited to 6 spots. Selection will be based on the motivation stated in the application form. Selected participants are required to submit a writing of at least 1000 words before mid-October, which will be compiled by the ""Conductor System"" team and published as a featured article on a public media platform.
💦This event will provide accommodation, meals in Kinmen, travel insurance from Taiwan's main island, and a flight subsidy of NTD 2000.
💦Selected participants will purchase their own flight tickets and rent motorcycles in Kinmen. They should keep the ticket stubs and receipts and claim the flight subsidy after submitting their writing.
💦Please wear lightweight clothing and shoes that are resistant to dirt and bring sunscreen and water for hydration.
💦The event will be recorded with images and footage, and by participating in the registration, you agree to this.
💦In case of rain, the date of the event will be rescheduled after consultation with the participants.
💦In case of disputes, the ""Conductor System"" team reserves the right of final interpretation."