Fake Airfield

The work began with Ciou’s investigation of military remains around Beigang and Shuilin after moving to Beigang, Yunlin. In the final years of Japanese rule, decoy airfields used imitation aircraft to mislead the enemy, drawing local bamboo craft, paper effigy making, and painting techniques into wartime production. This intersection of local craft and military demand led the artist to reconsider the relationships between form, technique, and historical memory through the idea of fabrication.

The work brings together a handmade replica of a Zero fighter plane, a cockpit screen, moving images, and bunker-shaped sound chairs. Viewers watch a fictional aviation narrative on the screen inside the cockpit, while fabricated objects help determine how the film is presented and viewed. Moving from military settings to an exhibition installation, the work intertwines camouflage, memory, and imagination. It asks how images and stories shape our understanding of history, and how individuals locate themselves within the island’s complex historical and political experiences.

Commissioned by Taipei Biennial 2025