Rhythms of Cultivation Across a Silent Universe《寂靜宇宙中的耕作韻律》(2026), 1,000 grains of rice tied to red thread, installation dimensions variable.

This exhibition is part of a broader program that marks the centennial of Ponlai rice 蓬萊米. Developed by the Japanese when Taiwan was under colonial rule, Ponlai rice is the most commonly consumed rice cultivar in Taiwan — and a staple I grew up eating in the US. In response to the theme and history of Ponlai rice, I have created an installation consisting of 1,000 grains of rice tied to red thread. Titled Rhythms of Cultivation Across a Silent Universe《寂靜宇宙中的耕作韻律》, the work is a meditation on the colonial history of the rice, on human nature, and how such a small everyday element of life embodies the history and culture of a space. In thinking about this project, I have delved into scientific literature on the history of rice domestication and cultivation, on human nature and colonization, as well as the history of Ponlai rice. I find it interesting that the term "colonization" is derived from Latin words related to cultivating and farming—and that Ponlai rice should be so relevant to these multiple aspects of humanity. The delicate nature of this installation renders it barely visible as it traverses across space, but in places where the thread and grains of rice intertwine—becoming tangled and knotted—the presence of the work becomes more perceptible, a reflection of the complexity of history and human behavior across time and space.

Exhibition Statement

Ponlai rice is at once a crop, a grain, and a daily sustenance; a material embodiment of colonial relations and cultural exchange between Japan and Taiwan, and a vital catalyst in shaping contemporary Taiwanese taste.

The year 2026 marks the centenary of Ponlai rice: its successful cultivation, its grounding in Taiwanese soil, and a century of lived presence. Shaped by Taiwan’s climate and terroir alongside the governance imperatives of the Japanese Empire, Ponlai rice emerged from the crossbreeding of two Japanese varieties, Shinriki and Kameji, with the pollen of indigenous upland rice. The arrival of this tender, glutinous grain—distinct from the slender, long-grain Indica—reconfigured culinary repertoires and redefined sensory expectations of texture. Concurrently, through the ubiquity of the Tatung electric cooker, the distinct ergonomics of Taiwanese chopsticks compared to those of Japan and Korea, and a dining populace whose composition remains fluid and plural, our relationship with Ponlai rice—forged through the acts ofcultivating, cooking, and commensality—has assumed a distinctly Taiwanese contour: one that remains continually contemporary and in constant flux.

Though so seamlessly woven into daily life as to elude conscious inquiry, Ponlai rice possesses an intricate texture. The transition from living plant to raw grain, and ultimately to cooked fare, resists any linear trajectory; it is an inherently multisensory and transcultural experience—a site of embodied everyday assembly. Ponlai Rice: A Century of Contemporary brings this full sensorium to the fore. Grounded in diverse cultural practices—indigenous, long-settled, and newly arrived—the project seeks to unfold and expand the palimpsest of Ponlai rice.

Conceived through an initiative led by food scholar and culinary practitioner Wang Chung-Shan, Ponlai Rice: A Century of Contemporary is situated within the "Centenary Waves of Rice" programme, organised and implemented by the Rice for Good Association. Dedicated to eco-friendly farming, philanthropic grain distribution, and culinary culture, the Association unites conscientious growers, social welfare organisations, and community advocates to establish a virtuous cycle of sustainable sustenance. Mobilising art and culture, the project engages with urgent contemporary imperatives across Taiwanese society—sustainable agriculture, food equity, and agrarian literacy—extending the century-long trajectory of a single grain into an enduring commitment to Taiwan’s land and its people.

Moving beyond the immediate gustatory assumptions of the dining table, Ponlai Rice: A Century of Contemporary | Chapter 1 directs critical attention to aspects of the grain frequently obscured by discussions of taste and the habits of daily consumption.

Through the repetitive labour of tying, Jocelyn Shu spends sustained periods observing and handling individual grains of Ponlai rice. Bound one by one with red thread, these minute grains accrue a striking visual gravity through their interconnectedness. At the same time, each single grain remains distinctly legible, held within the viewer’s close regard. Suspended and cascading through the gallery, this site-specific sculpture commands a presence beyond mere material measurement—imbued with the deep-seated history of the grain, the sheer accumulation of artistic labour, and an unfamiliar occupation of space.

Engaging likewise with tangible matter to trace cultural lineages, Katie Strachan takes the praxis of ‘preservation’ as her central inquiry. The rice sack serves a dual purpose: physically, it shields and preserves both raw and milled grain; socially, it conveys variety, origin, and cultural affinity to those who consume it. It exists simultaneously as an agrarian-technical device and a cultural artefact. In contemporary urban life—where most buy and cook rice without ever tending a paddy—the sack is in fact the primary interface through which one encounters this staple, yet it is rarely the subject of critical scrutiny. By washing, layering, and reconfiguring the printed imagery and text on these sacks, Strachan dissolves their original insignia, opening up entirely different modes of seeing.

Intimately entwined in everyday life, the grain and the sack are separately explored through the distinct practices of both artists, only to reconvene within the gallery in defamiliarised forms. The exhibition invites viewers to perceive the manifold dimensions of rice beyond the palate, entering into an ongoing cultural palimpsest shaped by touch, labour, and historical memory.