Craft_2024 PANGCAH Lifestyle Festival Stage Performance: "Under One Roof"
The stage design for the 2024 PANGCAH Lifestyle Festival, "Under One Roof," continues the stylistic code of "Temple of the Gods" from 2022 and builds upon the architectural foundation of past works constructed using natural materials. Combining curved lines and contours, it presents the contemporary application of traditional materials and the connection between natural materials and local culture.
Artist Fan Cheng-Tsung observed that tribal communities primarily operate through "collective action." When a life event is about to occur, people of different identities and social classes inevitably gather in buildings of varying sizes or sheltered places. Whether for educational purposes, discussions, or learning traditional skills and knowledge, cultural charm arises naturally from this "gathering."
The stage was constructed using domestically sourced bamboo, sourced in collaboration with the Hualien Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Department, combined with wood and 1000 kilograms of thatch. This created the impression of people gathering, looking up at the sky and gazing at the rooftops, while the audience seemed to overlap with scenes of tribal life, sharing this moment of reunion. After the performance, the bamboo and thatch will be dismantled in collaboration with the tribal community and donated to the Soraratan Youth Centre in Taibalang, currently under reconstruction, for future use, thus extending the life of local materials.
In addition to the stage's design being inspired by tribal community life, this year's event also featured a first-time collaboration with director Chen Yu-tien on dynamic visuals, adding a visual and sensory experience to the stage and the event venue. "Human perspective originates from above and falls to the ground." We all begin by looking up, then look down at the land and all around us, observing life as casually as breathing, going back and forth, constructing our understanding of the world.
The director drew inspiration from the life and experiences captured during the Taibalang New Year festival, as he traveled among the tribes. This included the rhythmic swaying of tribal clothing; the rain turning the ground into a mirror reflecting everything; the layers of clouds piling up among the mountains; the altar; the crackling of the continuous subterranean fire; the rising and swirling smoke; and the thickness, lines, textures, finger lengths, and fingertips of hands from different age groups and genders. Through the accumulation of daily life, we restore and protect the people, things, and environment that nurture our lives, ultimately returning our gaze to the present moment, focusing on those we cherish now and the next generation.
We, from all corners of the world, gather in Hualien, reuniting with acquaintances and meeting strangers. We share culture, music, food, and art in our lives.
