Site-specific three-channel video installation commissioned for Bethany Presbyterian Church in Seattle, Washington.
This video installation shares three traditional Taiwanese creation myths transcribed into Peh-ōe-jī. Many cultures have flood myths, and there are several traditional flood stories passed down from the various people groups of Taiwan. These three stories depict flood imagery alongside Taiwanese Hokkien text; one from the Atayal, another from the Amis Dou-lan, and finally a flood narrative from the Pingpu Pazeh people.
The matrilineal language of my family is Taiwanese Hokkien, which my mother and grandmother both speak fluently. Although a standardized written form of this dialect does not exist, I learned that Peh-ōe-jī, also known as “Church Romanization,” was developed by Presbyterian missionaries in the 19th century. This Latin alphabet allowed Hokkien to be written phonetically and was used to help teach Taiwanese Hokkien, as well as translate the Bible, church news, and religious tracts.
Since then, this orthography has fallen out of use. Yet I was curious to continue the historical dialogue between the Presbytery and the Taiwanese people, especially in connecting these flood stories across distinct cultures and religious practices.
