展覽介紹 | About the Exhibition
*此展覽為互動式展場，如需體驗展場中的健身器材，可點選左方【健身房體驗報名】並詳閱注意事項。

從前從前，人們曝海水為鹽、釀蔗漿為酒。糖蜜所釀造的酒精不僅使人沉醉，也為航空史上重要的軍備物資以及當今炙手可熱的生質燃料。對比過去人類追求蔗糖所展開的無數貿易、征戰與殖民；今日人們為了雕塑身形開始戒斷糖份與積極健身。蔗糖從農產品轉變為熱帶經濟物資，並透過跨國貿易的路徑和資本主義的迴圈在全世界擴散，形成難以戒斷的文明徵候與各項商業消費體系。

在當今媒體與訊息如此貼近生活的狀態下，成癮的慾望搭乘資本主義的列車，向世界無遠佛屆地擴張，並透過人人手持的屏幕不斷地被誘發和傳送，模糊了糖癮、酒精、健身文化，與網路媒體之間的界線。

此展覽從蔗糖產業的歷史脈絡重新思考當代社會的文化現象，以沈浸式的健身房空間，探討熱帶經濟作物在全球貿易體系中的權力與流動、勞動到運動的社會轉向，以及沉癮的當代信息化生活。

蔗糖與糖蜜酒精

蔗糖從來不是一個必需品，但它卻改變了世界的味蕾並使人成癮。蔗糖是最早使臺灣進入世界經濟貿易體系的外銷產品之一，曾為十七世紀的荷蘭東印度公司賺取了極大的利潤，糖蜜酒精也曾於日本殖民時期用來提煉高純度的乙醇與丁醇（酒精），作為南進策略中重要的飛行燃料。蔗糖從農產品轉化為商業物資，又再轉化為軍備燃料重要的「能量」。在健身文化中，糖一方面是提供「熱量」並使人愉悅的精神刺激物，另一方面又是增肌減脂的過程中必須戒斷的「癮品」；而使人沉醉的酒精，一方面是慾望與誘惑的代名詞，一方面則是影響肌肉修復與運動表現的殺手。

健身與現代資本主義

然而，今日的社會關注到糖所造成的文明疾病，並透過一系列高強度的肌力訓練和健身運動，作為一種對抗文明症候的手段。健身減脂，搭乘現代資本主義的便車，將糖擴展到世界各地所造成的文明徵候，透過新的理念宣傳為一項嶄新的、積極的運動模式與生活態度，以應付那些糖類對身體造成的負擔，並有能力回過頭來消費那些使我們精神愉悅的含糖商品，甚至周邊琳瑯滿目的補充品，以及各項新型態運動、健身房空間也如雨後春筍般應運而生。

從勞動到運動的社會轉向

有趣的是，人們在從事農作和勞動中所使用到的肌群，和現代人在健身房透過重量訓練所使用的肌群，其實有許多的相似性：一項著名的健身訓練─「農夫走路」，就是模仿農夫們左右手負重，挺直腰桿向前走步以達訓練核心的目的。此外，農村時代中規律的農事，也與保衛家園的武術訓練和寓兵於農的策略有深刻的連結。然而，現代化的健身運動中，人們以機具輔助雕琢出完美的肌肉與線條，並透過攝取多樣化的補給品、維生素，達到迷人的體態與高效的體能表現。從勞動到運動在其本質上的轉換，正是一個從生產者到消費者的過渡與轉向，使得勞動與運動的關係像一條雙向的鎖鏈，相互對比也相互交纏。

沉癮的當代信息化生活

最後，當糖癮、酒精、健身文化演變為一個複合體，媒體與訊息社會成為慾望滋生的溫床，沈溺於現實與慾望邊界模糊之中的我們，將習慣這樣的身體節奏與消費生活，並在精神生活上向這樣的準則與信念靠攏。然而，在新的信息化世界中，過去、現在、未來快速地被調度、分析和預測，面對層層的資訊與誘惑，我們將如何穿越這場迷霧的森林？

此展覽運用蔗渣健身器具，打造了一個沈浸式的健身房空間，探索使全世界上癮五百年的糖—背後的歷史與權力、貿易與流動、現代化與加工，也從身體運動的角度探討勞動與運動在社會脈絡中的轉向，更透過當代媒體與訊息化的生活現象，將過去與現代進行一場身體式的縫補，在歷史與當代多重的想像與交織中，捕捉不同層次的沉癮與慾望樣態。

Once upon a time, people extracted salt by evaporating seawater and brewed alcohol from sugarcane syrup. Alcohol derived from molasses was not only intoxicating but also served as an essential military supply in aviation history and is now a sought-after biofuel. In contrast to the countless trades, wars, and colonization driven by the pursuit of sugarcane in the past, people today are abstaining from sugar and actively engaging in fitness to sculpt their bodies. Sugarcane has been transformed from an agricultural product into a tropical economic commodity that has spread throughout the world through the routes of international trade and the cycles of capitalism, becoming an inextricable hallmark of civilization and various commercial consumption systems.

In today's world, where media and information are deeply intertwined with daily life, addiction rides the waves of capitalism, expanding globally. It is continuously triggered and transmitted through the screens in everyone's hands, blurring the lines between various forms of compulsive behavior. Sugar cravings, alcohol dependence, obsessive fitness routines, and internet media consumption now overlap in complex ways, creating a landscape where traditional addictions merge with modern digital habits.

This exhibition reexamines contemporary cultural phenomena through the historical lens of the sugarcane industry. By utilizing an immersive gym-like space, it explores the power dynamics and flows of tropical economic crops within the global trade system. The installation delves into society's transition from physical labor to deliberate exercise, while also investigating the nature of intoxication in our information-saturated era. Through this multifaceted approach, the exhibit draws compelling parallels between historical agricultural practices and modern lifestyle trends.

Sucrose and Molasses Alcohol

Sucrose, though never a necessity, has profoundly altered global tastes and become a widespread addiction. It played a pivotal role in integrating Taiwan into the global economic trade system, emerging as one of the island's first export products and generating substantial profits for the Dutch East India Company in the 17th century. Later, during the Japanese colonial period, molasses-derived alcohol gained strategic importance as it was refined into high-purity ethanol and butanol, serving as crucial aviation fuel in Japan's Southward Expansion strategy. This transformation illustrates sucrose's evolution from an agricultural product to a commercial commodity and vital military resource. In contemporary fitness culture, sugar occupies a paradoxical position: it's both a source of calories and a pleasure-inducing stimulant, yet viewed as an "addiction" to be eliminated during muscle-building and fat-reduction regimens. Similarly, alcohol embodies a duality in athletic contexts, symbolizing desire and temptation while being recognized as detrimental to muscle recovery and overall athletic performance.

Fitness and Modern Capitalism

In contemporary society, there's growing recognition of the "diseases of civilization" caused by excessive sugar consumption. In response, a culture of high-intensity strength training and fitness regimens has emerged. This fitness and movement to burn more calories, propelled by modern capitalism, aims to counteract the negative health impacts stemming from sugar's global proliferation. It promotes an active lifestyle and mindset as antidotes to sugar-related ailments. Interestingly, this approach not only addresses the physical toll of sugar but also creates a framework where indulgence in sugar-laden products for mental pleasure can coexist with health-conscious behaviors. The fitness industry has rapidly expanded to include a wide array of supplements, innovative exercise modalities, and specialized gym spaces, all designed to balance the pleasures and perils of sugar in modern life.

The Societal Shift from Labor to Exercise

Intriguingly, the muscle groups engaged in traditional agricultural labor closely resemble those targeted in modern gym workouts. The popular "farmer's walk" exercise, for instance, mimics farmers carrying heavy loads, training the core much like actual farm work. Historically, agricultural tasks in rural communities were often intertwined with martial arts training for homeland defense, embodying the strategy of embedding military preparedness in farming. In contrast, modern fitness relies on sophisticated machines to sculpt specific muscles, supplemented by various nutritional products to achieve an attractive physique and enhanced athletic performance. The fundamental transition from labor to exercise essentially represents a shift from producer to consumer roles in society. This transformation renders the relationship between labor and exercise akin to a two-way chain, simultaneously contrasting and intertwining with each other.

The Intoxication of Contemporary Informatization

As sugar addiction, alcohol consumption, and fitness culture evolve into an intricate web, our media-saturated and information-rich society becomes a fertile breeding ground for desires. We find ourselves immersed in a world where the boundaries between reality and desire are increasingly blurred. Adapting to new bodily rhythms and consumer lifestyles, we align our spiritual lives with emerging standards and beliefs. However, in our rapidly advancing information age, the past, present, and future are swiftly manipulated, analyzed, and predicted. Faced with an overwhelming abundance of information and a constant barrage of temptations, we are left to ponder: How can we effectively navigate this labyrinth of confusion? In a world where digital stimuli and physical cravings intertwine, the challenge lies in maintaining our autonomy and discernment amidst the noise.

This exhibition creates an immersive gym space using fitness equipment crafted from sugarcane residues, serving as a metaphor for the complex history and power dynamics of sugar. Through this innovative setting, it explores the multifaceted journey of sugar – from its trade routes and global flow to its modernization and processing, and examines the societal shift from labor to exercise from the perspective of physical movement. By juxtaposing historical context with contemporary media and our information-saturated lives, the exhibit stitches together past and present through bodily experiences. It captures the various layers of intoxication and desire that permeate both historical narratives and contemporary realities, revealing the intricate interweaving of sugar's legacy with modern lifestyle trends. This multisensory approach invites visitors to reflect on the enduring impact of sugar on our cultural, economic, and physical landscapes.