Project Summary

Gods, Landscape, and Memory: Investigating Sites From Taiwanese Taoist Lore is a project which brings together my interests in superstition and site-specific memory. Lively temple processions on holidays and other special dates are seen as the core of Taoism, but these practices are rooted in ancestral and site-specific history. My project documents sites that are linked to stories about the origins of local gods, miracles performed in Taoist communities, and traumatic events that have attracted ghosts.

At the core of my project, I research tales of gods local to Taiwan, such as the Eighteen Lords and Lord Wanshan. Local gods such as these were once people who found themselves in unusual, and oftentimes tragic, circumstances; thus, many origin stories are linked to the sites of tragic events, and often the temples of local gods are built on or near these sites.

On a smaller, hyper-local scale, I will collect and recount individual stories of sites of miracles and traumas. Examples include street intersections plagued by accident-causing ghosts, households that have experienced bouts of bad luck, and locations at which sacred objects have been abandoned. These locations are often managed through visits from temple processions or rituals from local priests. Miracles can materialize in the forms of, for example, businesses that suddenly experience great financial success or households who have a sharp upturn in fortune following a prayer or other other interaction with the gods.

Through encountering these different spaces, I recognize that it is essential not only to document the places to which these narratives are tied, but also the people who undertake the spiritual management of these places. Thus, I also collect the images and stories of people who engage in Taoist histories and narratives, such as temple regiment members (zhèntóu), spirit mediums (jītóng), or people who have been witness to uncommon spiritual events.

My approach involves a high level of community engagement. I am in frequent conversation with the Taoist community across Taiwan, from which I learn tales and traditions of their respective locales. My storytelling tools are a large format camera, a video camera, and a sound recorder—with these, I capture detailed accounts of the landscapes and people entangled in local superstitions, from rural riverfront gods linked to histories of drowning to construction workers moonlighting as spirit mediums. Ultimately, my project will culminate in an exhibition, talks, and an artist book, which will be accessible to diverse local and international audiences. The project will be carried out in Taiwan from August 2023 to June 2024.