「汐止」的字面意思是「潮水的盡頭」，舊名「水返腳（Tsuí-tńg-kha）」，因基隆河漲潮到此又折返而得名。過去基隆河流穿過汐止一帶，當漲潮的時候，潮水會溯河而上直至汐止後折返，因此每當夜闌人靜的時候，便會聽到湍急的潮汐與砂石激盪出的「灘音」。由於現代的水利防洪設施的興建，早期當地人形容為「聲如琴韻」的灘音已不復見，僅剩下「水」與附近遺留的景觀，成為我們在探尋過往聲音的重要線索。
進一步來說，由於淹水整治及城鄉發展，在街坊巷弄間所見的水流，往往會隱匿在道路或建物之下，或與水溝、排水系統等匯流再併入其他支流，隨著雨量多寡時而出現又消失。因此要定義明確水文源頭其實相當困難。不論是上述的灘音或是水文景觀，這些你我習以為常、存在於生活周遭的自然現象，往往與人們的感知及身體經驗相互影響，並與人為活動及所處環境息息相關。
展覽以「溯源」為題，關注生活周遭看得見與看不見的水。在融聲創意、返腳咖文史工作室與活動參與者的合作下，我們展開了共學現場、尋水查訪，再經由藝術轉譯的方式開展了跨媒體敘事的實驗。在這一年之間，我們走訪了抽水站、蓄洪池、河堤、涵洞、生態步道、煤礦遺址⋯⋯等與城市水文相關之場所，回顧了汐止地區的淹水歷史，最後的呈現嘗試以不同感測與紀錄方式去體現人與水及環境間的複雜關係。在大都會中想追尋水的源頭，就像是一場無以名狀的追尋，儘管未必會得到一個通用的答案，但過程中揭櫫人們在面對「水」時的各種觀點與選擇，而能以多元視角去重新看待那些「比人類更多」的難題。
The “Xizhi” district in New Taipei city literally means “the end of the tide” and was formerly known as “Tsuí-tńg-kha”. In the past, the Keelung River flowed through the Xizhi area and when the tide was high, it would go up the river until Xizhi and then turn back. Ｗhen the night was quiet, the “Tanyin” of the turbulent tide and gravel would be heard. However, with the construction of modern flood control facilities, “Tanyin,” which was described by the locals as “like the sound of a lute”, has disappeared, leaving only the river and the nearby landscape as clues in our search for the sounds of the past.
In the two workshops, we invited participants to share their experience with water, make simple contacted microphone, and walk along the river bank with the local culture and history research team to observe water pumping stations, flood storage ponds, river banks, culverts, eco-trails, and other sites related to urban hydrology. By listening and collecting the hydrographic features of the city, we will properly gain a new discovery of the complex relationship between people, water, and the environment, and be able to imagine the microscopic sounds of the tides in the past and present.
〈溯源計畫〉—— 汐止水岸聲音探索工作坊＋展覽｜
Traceability: Listen to Tsuí-tńg-kha Workshop＋Exhibition
Artist｜Po-Hao Chi
Co-Curator｜Shih Ya-Taien
Location｜Sonic Sensory Lab, Taipei Music Center
Date｜2023.07.06 – 2023.08.06
Guide Book Editor｜Shih Ya-Taien
Project Participants｜CHANG Wen Hua, CHEN Zhen Da, CHENG Ting Ting, CHEN Kuan Yu, Cordelia YANG, HAN Shun Zhi, HUANG Jhe Liang, HONG Yi Hua, Juby CHIU, PAN Shih Cheng, Sean TSENG, SHIH Mao Jhih, TSAI Yi Chuan, TSENG Shih Yu, TSENG Mei Chen,
WANG Li Yu, WANG Xuan De, WU Nai Fei, YANG Chang Ru, YANG Qing Yu, ZHONG Yu Ying
Production Team｜Zone Sound Creative Studio, Rexizhi Studio
Sponsor｜National Culture and Arts Foundation (NCAF)
