Elsewhere Holds What Isn't Here

The work focuses on rumors of boat stealing that emerged along the western coast of Taiwan during the Qing dynasty, where the distinctive coastal terrain frequently caused vessels to run aground. Beginning with negotiations, acts of seizure, theft, and interchange between foreign voyagers and coastal residents, the work examines the ambiguous attitudes of local authorities toward incidents of boat stealing, as well as the blurred boundaries between the identities of thieves and residents. Through moving images and a participatory game, the work approaches the coast as a fluid frontier space, reconsidering the boundaries between seizure and exchange, order and play, and the multiple relationships formed among residents, tides, and territorial boundaries.