Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract/Objectives

The Center collaborated with artist Hsu Chia-Wei to present the exhibition The Sound of Sinking at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum (exhibition period: July 26th–September 28th, 2025). This project marked Taiwan’s first exhibition to integrate underwater archaeology with contemporary art. The exhibition brought together underwater archaeology, underwater acoustics, and virtual reality technologies, centering on shipwrecks in the waters of Penghu, including the warship Guangbing from the First Sino-Japanese War, as well as the Santō Maru and Mansei Maru from the Second World War. Professional underwater archaeological investigations were transformed into immersive artistic installations and sound performances, creating a dialogue between technological innovation and the humanities. This project combined underwater archaeological research with archaeological acoustics, incorporating the historical narratives and sonic elements of specific sites into the creative process. Through mixed reality (MR) technology, audiences were able to assume different virtual roles, immerse themselves in a shared virtual environment, and actively participate in shaping the artistic experience through interaction. This immersive mode of display disrupted the traditional boundary between viewer and exhibition, allowing historical narratives to move beyond abstraction or distance and instead foster deeper emotional engagement and understanding. Overall, this interdisciplinary and experimental collaboration sought to address issues of cultural sustainability through artistic innovation, encouraging audiences to reconsider the multiple meanings of shipwrecks and their historical significance within Taiwan’s maritime heritage.

Results/Contributions

During the preparation and implementation of the exhibition, the Center assisted with applications for filming permits and granted the artist’s team permission to conduct on-site documentation of the archaeological team’s underwater operations at the Yamafuji Maru shipwreck. In addition, the Center provided existing research materials on the three shipwrecks and actively participated in the planning and decision-making of the exhibition’s static display components. Throughout the exhibition period, Professor Ellen Hsieh not only took part in the museum-organized public lecture The Sound of Sinking: Underwater Archaeology and Acoustic Exploration, but also conducted questionnaire surveys to assess audience reception and feedback regarding this innovative form of public archaeology outreach.

The outcomes of this interdisciplinary creative and public engagement project were subsequently presented at the 8th International Congress on Underwater Archaeology (IKUWA 8) under the title “Reimagining Underwater Archaeology Through Contemporary Art: A Co-creational Experiment.” In addition to introducing the exhibition, the presentation shared experiences of negotiation and practice within interdisciplinary collaboration, receiving enthusiastic responses from participating scholars. Although the exhibition concluded in September of the same year, the Taipei Fine Arts Museum later published a dedicated exhibition catalogue. The artist further extended the project through exhibitions at the M+ Museum in Hong Kong, with plans for a touring exhibition in Europe in the coming year, demonstrating the project’s sustained international impact and continued dissemination.

Keywords

Underwater ArchaeologySubmarine SoundscapesVirtual RealityWarship GuangBingYamafuji MaruMansei MaruWreckUnderwater Cultural Heritage

References

Media Information

Contact Information

謝艾倫
ehsieh@mx.nthu.edu.tw