Resident groups Uni-Percussion and Taichung Puppet Theater will present a series of exciting performances at Taichung City Tun District Art Center from October 17 to November 14! Uni-Percussion will present “All Things Have Spirit: Sound and Soil Are One”, a sound installation and performance project at the Aesthetic Space. Drawing on sounds from across Taiwan, the project combines sound installations, robotic arms, lighting, and spatial design to create an immersive auditory experience. Taichung Puppet Theater will debut its new high-tech glove puppetry production, “Legend of the Sacred Sword III: The Dragon and Tiger Brothers”, with a 20% discount for groups of four and special youth ticket offers. The program also includes an interactive puppet exhibition, a lecture on puppetry and audiovisual technology, a “Goddess Mazu” puppet-making workshop, and an outdoor family play, “Bobby's Big Adventure”. Visitors of all ages are invited to enjoy the resident groups' distinctive cross-disciplinary creations.
The Cultural Affairs Bureau of Taichung City Government said Tun District Art Center has long focused on integrating technology and the arts, encouraging resident groups to explore cross-disciplinary creation. This year's “All Things Have Spirit: Sound and Soil Are One” project by Uni-Percussion brings together artists Daniel Cheng and Wan-Chien Cheng, along with space and lighting designer Yen-Ting Tseng. The group also thanked Taichung-based HIWIN Technologies Corporation for sponsoring robotic arms, which have expanded the creative possibilities of the production. The ticketed performances on October 24 and 25 will feature artists performing alongside robotic arms and ambient sound installations, offering audiences a fresh and unusual experience. During its residency from 2021 to 2022, Taichung Puppet Theater introduced the “Legend of the Sacred Sword” series, bringing high-tech glove puppetry into the black box theater. Four years later, the troupe returns with “Legend of the Sacred Sword III”, combining traditional puppetry techniques, video projections, and sound and lighting effects. Both longtime fans and newcomers are invited to experience a spectacular martial arts world where reality and illusion meet.
Uni-Percussion Artistic Director Yoshi Yung-Chih Hsueh shared that the project begins with the idea of “All Things Have Líng”, using “Sound and Soil Are One” to explore the inseparable connection between people and their environment. The sound “líng” carries several meanings in Chinese: “聆”, meaning to listen; “靈”, referring to the spirit of all things; “零”, meaning zero in digital code; and “齡”, representing the memories accumulated over a lifetime. He recalled recording the sound of an elderly woman cooking at a traditional outdoor banquet in a temple courtyard during a local sound collection project in 2017. After listening to the recording, she was deeply moved and said it was the first time she had truly listened to the sound of her own cooking. The experience helped him realize that everyday sounds carry memories of life and emotion, and became the starting point for “All Things Have Spirit”.
Taichung Puppet Theater said its program, themed “When Puppets Meet Technology”, uses creativity and technology to expand the possibilities of traditional glove puppetry. The program also supports national language promotion, with Taiwanese used in more than 70% of its content, including theatrical dialogue, guided tours, and performance subtitles. This helps preserve and pass on traditional performing arts and language culture. “Legend of the Sacred Sword III: The Dragon and Tiger Brothers” continues the spectacular martial arts saga with a brand-new story centered on a mystery of identity and a battle between good and evil. Familiar characters, including protagonist Pai Yang-Sheng, return to the stage. Whether they have followed the series from the beginning or are seeing it for the first time, audiences can experience the excitement of traditional martial arts puppetry enhanced by dramatic stage lighting and sound effects.
Tun District Art Center said Uni-Percussion's “All Things Have Spirit: Sound and Soil Are One” sound installation exhibition will run from October 17 to November 8 at the Aesthetic Space. The program begins with a live sound performance by Daniel Cheng, combining digital music and sound mixing. This will be followed by the cross-disciplinary performance “Ponlai Rice”, inspired by the Taichung No. 65 variety of Ponlai rice, successfully bred in 1929. Through sound, everyday objects, and electronic installations, the performance invites audiences on a journey through time and memory. Taichung Puppet Theater's “When Puppets Meet Technology” series will run from October 24 to November 14, featuring an interactive puppet exhibition, ticketed performances of “Legend of the Sacred Sword III”, a lecture on technology and cross-disciplinary innovation in glove puppetry, a “Goddess Mazu” puppet-making workshop, and the outdoor family play “Bobby's Big Adventure”. The activities reveal the visual magic behind puppet performances, while the family play uses a fun adventure story to encourage kindness, helping others, and caring for the environment. For more event and ticket information, please visit the Taichung City Tun District Art Center website (www.ttdac.taichung.gov.tw) or its official Facebook page.