Maria Thereza Alves and Jimmie Durham
Collected Stones – 13 Short Videos, 1995-2002, Einkanal-Video, 21′39′′
Tang Han
∞ Container, 2021, Einkanal-Video, 7′50′′
Koike Teruo
Ecosystem no. 5 (Tremulous Stone), 1988, Einkanal-Video, 17′00′′
Miyakita Hiromi
Nutu Tateiwa, 2021, Einkanal-Video, 12′00′′
Suzuki Akio
hi zu mi – 2, 2021, Eisenbleche, Kieselsteine aus der Elbe und der Sächsischen Schweiz
Suzuki Akio
Wave Quartet, 2021, Kieselsteine, Draht, Bambus
Hsu Chia-Wei
Nuclear Decay Timer, 2017, Vierkanal-Video, 8′40′′
00:00 – 01:32
Scientists from Taiwans Japanese colonial period discovered them in a river near Ma’oto. They were panned from sand, similar to panning for gold.
This type of zircon draws a great deal of interest due to its special shape. They are only found in alkali basalts.
During Japanese colonial period in Taiwan, when they arrived, they initially knew nothing about Taiwans geology, meaning that everything had to be developed from zero.
These experts, teachers when they came to Taiwan, the task they were given was to first understand the entire geology of Taiwan.
They were able to first construct a geological map of Taiwan which was already a very uneasy task to accomplish.
Because of these fundamental surveys we were then able to build from it with greater details.
As for these zircons, what our generation could do was to categorize them.
I’ve also used some scientific methods to assess the age of these zircons.
07:12 – 07:51
Zircon, this nuclear decay calculator has emerged since the dawn of time, since hundreds of millions of years ago to tens of millions to several million years.
This is a colossal narrative spanning across millions of years. It is a dialogue of intense space-time incongruity.
With these large-scale tectonic movements, each scene was a long process that species went extinct waiting over.
To use the dimension of a day, it means waiting till the last few minutes of 23:00 then the time scale will gradually lessen, and then returned back to us again.
Hsu Chia-Wei
Mineral Crafts, 2018, Einkanal-Video, 9′52′′
00:00 – 00:47
Welcome to the world of Minecraft. I’m your tour guide. We are currently at Shuei Nan Dong. This area measures 854 blocks in width and 891 in length. Behind us is Teapot Mountain, the highest visible from here, 255 blocks high.
In the distance you can see Yinyang Sea, which has two distinct colours. This mountain range is rich in metallic mineral deposits, and ferric oxide is washed off the rocks and carried by the river into the sea to give it a yellow-brown tint.
01:19 – 01:52
They are now finishing off the 13-level smelting plant of Jing Gua Shi.
The plant was originally completed in 1933, for the Japanese to process copper ore. Although it is known as the 13 levels, there were in fact 18 levels altogether. The smelting plant was built along the slope, in a stepped form. Underneath the sloping roofs, the copper was extracted and transported away.
Over here is a substation, supplying the large amount of electricity required to power the mining works. Adjacent to it we can see a number of massive water tanks, then the offices and plant.
04:57 – 05:44
The transmission of electric currents and signals is possible due to copper’s excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. Currents can travel through copper easily. Through copper cables power stations distribute electricity generated from the heat of burning matters, at remote locations, via substations and utility poles to our everyday lives.
In the early 20th century during World War I, Europe’s demand for military supplies stimulated the Japanese economy. Japan’s rapid development of arms industries increased the share of heavy and mining industries in the overall economy. The vast amount of resources that heavy industries relied on came from the mines in Korea and Taiwan, the colonies of Japan.
The 13-level smelting plant required a lot of workers, for whom accommodation was built at the time.
07:41 – 08:19
I am a product of many, many 0s and 1s. Commands that consist of 0s and 1s reach circuit boards as current via copper wiring; signals, again via copper, are then translated into speech, sound and colours that we can understand. For example my voice, or any colour you can see on the monitor in front of you; this friendly world, its buildings, terrain, trees and sunshine.
In here we also need to mine. The blocks made from the resources we mine can be used to build anything, even computers. Therefore we could play Minecraft in a computer inside the world of Minecraft.