DC Tu  
So Called “Lunar New Year (2024)

Artist: DC Tu
Visual design for the installation: Hsin-i Sung
Videographer: Yang-Feng Cheng

Editing: Yang-Feng Cheng  
Music: DC Tu
Special Thanks to Ya-Pin Chang, Yu-Chu Tsai, Xin-Pei Chen
Description

Through tradition and customs, we come to understand the significance of the Lunar New Year, which includes family reunions, receiving red envelopes (lucky money), going on spring outings, and eating rice cakes and sweet dumplings. However, with the changing times and advancements in technology, the forms of celebrating the New Year have also evolved. Some people adhere to traditions, such as cleaning before the New Year, paying respects to ancestors after the New Year, and visiting the maternal family on the second day of the New Year. Some choose to travel abroad with their families during the holiday season, while others opt to pause their work commitments and spend time reuniting with long-lost relatives. Each individual in society has different thoughts about the New Year, and these perspectives gradually shape the values associated with the modern celebration of the New Year. Just as past generations have shaped the concept of the New Year, the modes of celebrating the New Year in modern times also subtly influence the contemporary perception of the holiday.

In the creative process, artists have collected various people's values in the form of sound. Through interviews starting with "New Year means to me...", individuals describe their thoughts on the New Year. These diverse voices are recorded and, through program calculations, played randomly through each set of speakers.

When experiencing this artwork firsthand, one immersed in the installation will feel the collective consciousness constructed by the different voices. Approaching the speakers allows one to hear clear individual content. This design concept is derived from human society. While individuals may grasp multiple opinions, it is difficult to capture a comprehensive understanding of the entire society when each individual is different and constantly changing. The intention of the New Year is also similar in this regard. The artist is not attempting to propose new values but rather hoping to facilitate discussions among people. Through dialogue, they aim to promote collective thoughts in society, making the New Year more relevant to contemporary life.