Country
Taiwan
Premiere
USA
The inspiration for this work comes from a legend recorded in “TIROSEN”. In the 17th century, a Dutch warship mistakenly identified a brilliantly lit King boat as an enemy vessel and opened fire in the dark of night. Upon boarding the next day, the crew discovered the ship was filled not with soldiers, but with intricately crafted paper effigies of deities. Days later, a mysterious plague broke out among the Dutch forces, causing heavy casualties.
Director Feng Chien-Chang first encountered the King Boat belief system while curating the permanent exhibition of the Pingtung King Boat Museum. What began as a sense of unfamiliarity and reverence gradually deepened into personal involvement, including his active participation in the elaborate triennial ritual of the King Boat Procession. Through this experience, he was profoundly moved by the emotional intensity and communal significance embedded in this folk faith.
With this VR/Mixed Reality project, he seeks to translate the cultural power of this tradition into a form of immersive digital storytelling, inviting a wider audience to approach, understand, and even take part in this ritual — now officially recognized as an item of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Combining 5K ultra-high-resolution HTC VIVE Focus 3 VR technology with digital artistic creation, this work leads viewers through time and space into a narrative where myth and history intertwine. With its intricate visual effects and evocative narrative style, the work amplifies the dramatic tension and mystique of the King Boat tradition, inviting audiences into active exploration and emotional engagement.
Chien-Chang Feng is a renowned Taiwanese director and spatial designer known for his cross-disciplinary creations that integrate visual art, technology, and stage design. With extensive experience in exhibition spaces, concert stages, and large-scale public art curation, he excels at crafting immersive narrative experiences characterized by strong visual impact and cultural depth.
As a core member of the creative team FREES, Feng is dedicated to breaking the boundaries between art and technology. His work merges architecture, theater, video, and sound, exploring a wide range of media formats. His projects span hybrid exhibitions, XR stage productions, and immersive theater, earning recognition from international design awards.