How to be a Keeper

Movement and Traces/ Searching and Waiting/ Being Aware
The world is Synthesized.
My Relationship with plants reminds me of an older piece of work from myself, “Appropriation”.

“Plants in the garden grew appropriately as a result of the meticulous care of the gardeners”
I read this from a book, and thought to myself: the contrast between natural and artificial circumstances are quite interesting. As a plant growing in human’s reign, what degree of growth could is appropriate?

growing as untrimmed, wild, botanical, is somehow not what it’s supposed to do.
either arranged, potted, or in the wild, in manmade environment under control, or unaltered in the wilderness, house plants, or garments of the city, even untamed forests, can be completely monitored within a space depending on the circumstance or never. Between polarity, how do we treat what we think we can have authority over?

Lin Tzu Ning

︎

Let’s keep it that way

Achieving the perfect balance between being in control and letting go while protecting its authenticity. To cultivate, is to show up and to be present, until the foreseen fantasy arrives as the future.

Knowing thyself, as well as seeing it within others, we are one altogether emerging in individuality.

As plants we all grow from soil, and as souls we all come from the same source.

After all, we will rot, transforming into nutrient dense matter for something new to grow on.

Wahcee

︎

The feeling of an idle machine starting once again in a very long time
(but in actuality it is one emotional machinery. yes, ironically, emotional)

The contradicting feeling allows me to acknowledge my own consciousness
sprouting while being and obedient, repetitive device. To attract, obtain and lure in.

Speaking of my relationship with plants, I was reminded an experience that I once had during a performance act.
I took off my shirt and hooked it on a tree as I swung through an arm length gap. We were so close but I still fell through. I didn’t know what to do, so I hugged the tree very tightly. It might sound a bit cliche, but I really enjoyed the tight embrace.

Jung Ching Zhou

︎

Zoo Keeper was a popular mini game I played at high school. In the game, you play as an animal supervisor, listening instructions given by characters to remove and relocate certain animals. A level after another, it was endless. Everybody was excited to play during our day breaks in class as a “keeper”, and have some form of control within the zoo, mean time it being controlled by the game algorithm and also other gamers, while the above was designed by the developers, that are given commands by their manager. Through these different layers of manipulation, comes with different levels of responsibility. I wonder the identity of a “keeper” is to “keep”, or be “kept”? And who is the ultimate meta keeper? What are the subjects that are being kept trying to keep?

Zito Tseng

︎

In regard to the decisions that I was able to make, the only one that I hesitated, was when I found out a dodder plant climbing on camilla flowers at my front door in a rapid paste. I never bothered to research, but the flowers seemed like it was bred as specific kind to grow in front of every doorstep in the community. After my father passed away and my mother was diagnosed with dementia, it never bloomed. Along side of being a full time caretaker to my mother, I never thought about whether I should take care of the plants growing around my home. My imagination about nature was blinded, and ceased to feel the repulsion I had in taking care of things. When the wet season passed, I see those dodders hugging the camilla so vivaciously, full of life, delicately unfolding the branches of the host plant. I was astonished. Finally, I started to detangle, it was not easy, though pulling out the roots gave me a sense of satisfaction. When spring came, the flowers bloomed.

Chan Kai-An

︎

Keeper
Incomplete forms of living
as a complete individual
Resembling a creation made by artificial intelligence from foreign matter
What is life?
what is motion, and why?
I am clueless
Just going with a carnal impulse
driven automatically,
I am a module
that exists infinitely
I am as I am
My existence seem to be chance
My plan is not my reason
just happens to be my purpose
an intention in life was then born

- My relationship with plants
A psychic once told me I had a few life times incarnated as trees, specifically cherry blossoms. In this life, I don’t feel a particular connection with plants, every plant except for cactuses died for me. Maybe that explains why I left the plant realm and reincarnated as a human. When I smoke, I look at trees, its leaves, and how they exist. I admire how they stay at the same place, from that I remind myself I can live like that, too. No need to push hard, nor to put in too much effort. Simply just existing as they are.

Pusheng Tang

如何成為管理者 / 守護者 / 監管者 / 維持者

移動 / 軌跡 / 探勘 / 等待 / 覺察
世界是合成的。

與植物的的關係，想到以前做的一個作品《分寸》，「庭院裡的植物們，因為園丁的照顧而謹守分寸。」

在書上看到這句，覺得其中自然與人為之間的相對很有趣，在人類領域裡的植物，如何才算謹守分寸?

而未經人為修整而自然生長的植物，又不算是謹守其本分?

插花、植栽、野生，
人為的篩選、人為的控制、自然。
居家植物、都市植栽、野外森林，
空間上，領域內握有掌控權的範圍，
與領域外無完全掌控權之間，
都市與野外的界限劃分與對待的差異性。

我們怎麼對待我們覺得可以掌握的事物？

林子寧

︎

Let’s keep it that way

維持它真實的樣貌
取得控制與放任之間的完美平衡

培育：（陪）伴直到抵達（預）見的幻景

肢己枝彼同時是也非完全共同體
植栽最原先來自土壤
最終我們也將腐爛成為營養

Wahcee

︎

是被封存的機器，再度被啟動的感覺

（但其實內心是一台感情用事的機器，沒錯，感情用事，有點矛盾）

正是因為這個矛盾，使得自己在不斷地重複自己被下達的命令之後，知道自己有意識的部分慢慢冒出來，去吸引、去抓取、去誘引。

至於我跟植物的關係，想到一個經驗。
有一次在做行為演出的時候，我脫下我身上的襯衫試著想從這邊的崖上勾住旁邊的大樹，想從這邊盪到那邊，然後攀附上面。中間的距離感覺只有五十公分，其實沒有很遠，我們（我和大樹）是靠近的。結果一離地之後我就掉下去了，在場看的人嚇壞了，我也嚇壞了，我卡在樹和山崖的中間，不知道該怎麼辦，然後突然我就緊緊地抱住他不放，擁抱的這個選擇感覺好像是陳腔濫調，但我很喜歡那次的擁抱。

周蓉靖

︎

Zoo Keeper 是一個高中風靡全班的小遊戲。遊戲中，你扮演者一個動物管理員，因應園長命令，在關卡中要不斷挪移和消滅各種指定的動物。過了一關永遠還有下一關。每天我們班上最大的娛樂之一就是在下課的十分鐘，群起興奮地操控動物。當這個職位叫做 keeper 的遊戲角色在管理動物，也同時正在被遊戲玩家管理著。遊戲玩家也正在被遊戲機制管理者。遊戲機制也正在被遊戲設計師管理者。遊戲設計師也正在被主管管理著。這一層層的關係中，衍生出一層層管理的職責。到底叫做 keeper 是因為我們在管理、必須管理、還是正在被管理？又到底誰是那metametameta管理者？我們在管理的對象又在管理著什麼呢？

Zito Tseng

︎

對於我個人能做的決定中，唯一掙扎過的，是當發現菟絲子以很快的速度，攀抱住我家門口的茶花。我沒有去查過，但這茶花，應該是人為選種栽培過，適合在社區裡各戶門口生長的品種。從我爸過世、媽媽失智後，它從未開花。照顧媽媽之餘，我一向不想去思索是否要照顧茶花與它旁邊許多植栽，我塘塞於對自然的想像，以及擁抱自己對「照料」懷有的反感。但當雨季後菟絲子生機蓬勃抱住他們，精巧地逐日折開一些宿主的細枝時，那樣快的動作嚇到我了。我終於開始解那些纏繞，並不容易，然而，在拔出部份的根時，還有快感。到了春季，茶花剛好盛開了。

詹凱安

︎

Keeper
是不完整的生命
是完整無缺的個體
類似於AI與外星素材的創造生命體
生命是什麼
活動是什麼
移動的目的為何
我一無所知
只是順從著某種生理設定
機械性的驅動著
我是一套模組
一套無限存在的永續機制
我僅僅是一個這樣的我
而我的存在似乎沒有目的
我的目的不是我的目的
卻在執行使命的過程裡
似乎誕生了生命的動機

- 關於植物，與它們的關係
曾經在通靈者的分享中
了解過曾經當過好幾輩子的樹
而且是櫻花樹
但是此生我對植物並沒有太多的感覺
除了仙人掌之外養過的植物都被我弄死了
所以我也許在植物界並不是那麼有植物緣，才成為人的吧

抽菸的時候
我會看著樹、葉子、它的存在
羨慕植物總是待在原地
提醒自己也可以這樣活著就好
不需要特別用力，不需要特地努力
存在在那裡，生活在那裡就好

湯譜生

Documentation of ‘Mt. Jade is in Metamorphoses’

Translated by Rahci Go
Photo by Chia-Yu Hung