Banana Coin Project
2023
Talent 演員
YEH Yi 葉伊
Camera Operator 攝影師
LAN Hao Lun 藍皓倫
CHEN Po Wei 陳柏為
Assistant Camera Operator 攝影助理
WU Chin Lin 吳熾林
Art Director 美術
WU Jia Rong 吳佳容
Assistant Art Director 美術助理
CHEN Wei Chen 陳威臣
Editor 剪輯
CHEN Ting Wei 陳霆瑋
Sound Designer 聲音設計
Bai-Shiang Music Studio 白象音造工作室
LIOU Zih Ci 劉子齊
Wardrobe&Makeup Artist 服裝與梳化
TSENG NaNa
Colorist 調光調色
LAN Hao Lun 藍皓倫
Food Designer 食物設計
CHENG Ching-Hsin 鄭晴心
Game Design and Video Installation 影像裝置與遊戲設計
Showing Vision Studio
Special Thanks 特別感謝
Panasonic 概念體驗館PoME
Zhong Liao Township Farmer’s Association 中寮鄉農會
Taichung Branch, Bureau of Standards, Metrology & Inspection, M.O.E.A. 經濟部標準檢驗局臺中分局
Commissioned by Hong Foundation 本件作品由洪建全基金會委託製作
Talent 演員
YEH Yi 葉伊
Camera Operator 攝影師
LAN Hao Lun 藍皓倫
CHEN Po Wei 陳柏為
Assistant Camera Operator 攝影助理
WU Chin Lin 吳熾林
Art Director 美術
WU Jia Rong 吳佳容
Assistant Art Director 美術助理
CHEN Wei Chen 陳威臣
Editor 剪輯
CHEN Ting Wei 陳霆瑋
Sound Designer 聲音設計
Bai-Shiang Music Studio 白象音造工作室
LIOU Zih Ci 劉子齊
Wardrobe&Makeup Artist 服裝與梳化
TSENG NaNa
Colorist 調光調色
LAN Hao Lun 藍皓倫
Food Designer 食物設計
CHENG Ching-Hsin 鄭晴心
Game Design and Video Installation 影像裝置與遊戲設計
Showing Vision Studio
Special Thanks 特別感謝
Panasonic 概念體驗館PoME
Zhong Liao Township Farmer’s Association 中寮鄉農會
Taichung Branch, Bureau of Standards, Metrology & Inspection, M.O.E.A. 經濟部標準檢驗局臺中分局
Commissioned by Hong Foundation 本件作品由洪建全基金會委託製作
As a common cash crop in the tropics, bananas also became one of the colonial resources that empires competed to plunder at the beginning of the last century. With the development of colonial agriculture, colonial governance technology and science, a unique and exclusive trading mechanism also evolved. , such as the United Fruit Company (1899-1970) in the United States. Its astonishing land quantity, output value and market intervention capabilities make it inseparable from the current political situation in Latin America. People working on the farm can use the vouchers (Voucher) issued by the company to exchange for needed goods at low prices on the farm, but the source of the vouchers is actually the agricultural products grown and harvested by the workers, and the agricultural products also provide colonial banks. With enough capital to operate and provide loans to farmers, farm workers who feel they are saving some money are actually increasing the influence of farmers in this system. Bananas have also become a projection of desire for new Asian empires hoping to join the imperial ranks. In the banknotes issued by the Japanese Empire in the occupied areas in the 1940s, bananas, a tropical crop outside the empire's territory, were used as the main symbol. At that time, Taiwan was also the main supplier of bananas to Japan, and it was also the main place for conducting research on tropical crops and expanding its influence southward. The symbolic meaning behind the bananas may have been projected by the emerging empire's desire to join the world system created by the old country. Desire will be closer.
Although in the late World War II, this banknote quickly lost its value due to inflation and became synonymous with "worthless things". As a typical case of colonial economy, it shows how quickly the collapse of trust can destroy value when it is dominated by the government and lacks reasonable and clear precious metal price relationships and guarantee mechanisms.
This project attempts to unearth an escape route from today's financial system, discussing the trauma and greed from the colonial era that continues to this day.
Although in the late World War II, this banknote quickly lost its value due to inflation and became synonymous with "worthless things". As a typical case of colonial economy, it shows how quickly the collapse of trust can destroy value when it is dominated by the government and lacks reasonable and clear precious metal price relationships and guarantee mechanisms.
This project attempts to unearth an escape route from today's financial system, discussing the trauma and greed from the colonial era that continues to this day.
香蕉作為熱帶地區的常見的經濟作物,在上個世紀初也成為帝國競相掠奪的殖民地資源之一,隨著殖民地農業、殖民地治理技術與科學的發展,也衍伸出了獨特、專屬的交易機制,如:美國的United Fruit Company(1899-1970),其驚人的土地數量、產值以及市場干預能力,使其與當今的拉丁美洲政治狀況脫離不了關係。在農場中工作的人們可以使用公司發給的代金券(Voucher)在農場內低價換購所需商品,但代金券的源頭,其實就是勞工所種植並且採收的農產品,農產品同時提供了殖民地銀行足以運作的資金,並向農場主提供貸款,在這個系統當中,覺得節省了一些費用的農場工人實際上正逐漸加大農場主的影響力。香蕉同時也成為亞洲新帝國希冀擠身帝國行列時的慾望投射,在日本帝國1940年代在占領地區發行的鈔票當中,就以帝國所在地之外的熱帶作物香蕉作為主要的使用標誌。當時台灣也是日本的香蕉主要供應地,也是實施熱帶作物研究以及向南擴張影響力的主要地點,香蕉背後的象徵意涵或許以新興帝國期望躋身舊地國所創造出來的世界體系,所投射出來的欲望會更貼近一些。
雖然在第二次世界大戰後期,這張鈔票很快就因為通貨膨脹而失去價值,成為「不值錢的東西」的代名詞。作為一個典型的殖民地式經濟的案例,展現了由政府主導、缺乏合理明確的貴金屬對價關係與保障機制時,崩塌的信任可以多快速地瓦解價值。
本計畫試圖挖掘出一條與從今日金融系統逃跑的通道,討論來自於殖民時代、至今依舊不止息的創傷與貪婪。
雖然在第二次世界大戰後期,這張鈔票很快就因為通貨膨脹而失去價值,成為「不值錢的東西」的代名詞。作為一個典型的殖民地式經濟的案例,展現了由政府主導、缺乏合理明確的貴金屬對價關係與保障機制時,崩塌的信任可以多快速地瓦解價值。
本計畫試圖挖掘出一條與從今日金融系統逃跑的通道,討論來自於殖民時代、至今依舊不止息的創傷與貪婪。
Isoamyl Acetate, Screenshot, 2023
Banana auction and event of banana peel snack in opening, Project Seek, 2023, Photo by WANG Sean, courtesy of Hong Foundation
Isoamyl Acetate, Screenshot, 2023