摩 挲 Original

Concept:

Based on the unique "Spreading Joss Paper" gesture in Minnan sacrificial rituals, this interactive installation uses digital technology to translate traditional folklore into an immersive experience. It aims to transcend the static displays of museums, using an interactive language familiar to the youth to reconstruct the dialogue between humans and divinity, tradition and the present.

I. Design Philosophy
1. Core Concept: Silent Sacrifice & Digital Translation This work is founded on the unique prelude to sacrificial rituals in the Minnan region—the hand gesture of "Spreading Joss Paper" (fanning out a stack of spirit money). We utilize digital interaction technology to create an immersive translation of this traditional folklore.

We aim to break the static "exhibit + label" experience typical of traditional museums, converting ancient ritualistic gestures into an interactive language familiar to the younger generation. In the act of "Rubbing," the burning ritual, which originally produced smoke and ash, is replaced by light, shadow, and algorithms. This sublimation achieves the concept of "Eco-friendly Prayer," reconstructing the dialogue field between humans and the divine, and between tradition and the present.

2. Spiritual Core: "Toh-Thàn" (The Hustle) The work is not merely a superficial display of folklore; it delves deeply into the weight of the Minnan term "Toh-Thàn" (讨趁). This word signifies both "making a living" and "earning," symbolizing the pragmatic spirit of the Minnan people—"To win, you must fight." From the illusory prayer (Spreading the paper) to the realistic struggle (Grasping the fist), the interaction serves as a metaphor for the survival philosophy: "Success is 30% destiny, 70% hard work."

II. Interaction Flow & Narrative Logic
The experience unfolds like a micro-drama, divided into four chapters: "The Divine Realm," "Ignition," "The Mortal World," and "Destiny."

Chapter 1: The Divine Realm · Rubbing
Auditory Landscape: Authentic recordings of Taoist rituals collected from the Longhai region of Minnan create a solemn and sacred temporal atmosphere.
Visual State: In the center of the screen, the Joss Paper rotates slowly; the physical filament bulb exhibits a low-brightness breathing effect based on a Gaussian random distribution, resembling a candle flickering in the wind.
Interaction Logic (Spread): The user reaches out and "Rubs" in front of the installation (simulating the fanning of Joss Paper).
Feedback: The faster the rubbing, the louder the rustling of paper and the chanting become, and the hotter the light glows. This process establishes the channel for "Human-Divine Communication," metaphorizing the accumulation of piety.
Chapter 2: Ignition · Grasping
Interaction Logic (Grasp): When the light and heat accumulate to their peak, the user clenches their fist tightly.
Sensory Impact:
Auditory: A crisp "Click" of a lighter pierces through the chanting sound (symbolizing the ignition moments in daily Minnan life: lighting Joss Paper, firecrackers, or the King Ship).
Visual: The bulb instantly erupts to maximum brightness (symbolizing combustion) and then immediately dims (symbolizing entering the secular world). The Joss Paper visual vanishes amidst the flames.
Metaphor: The moment of grasping shifts the visual from the ethereal to the concrete, symbolizing the transition from praying to the gods to seizing reality.
Chapter 3: The Mortal World · Hustle (Toh-Thàn)
Visual Collage: After the paper burns away, a dynamic motion graphic collage of Minnan culture emerges, full of tension, divided into three layers of meaning from bottom to top:
Bottom (Foundation): Surging waves, fishing boats, and catches. Symbolizing the hardship and solid foundation of struggle: "Sailing takes 30% life (risk), 70% luck."
Middle (Connection): Crowds at the Jiao festival, Eight Immortals Tables, and clan settlements. Symbolizing the united power of the clan and the bonds of faith in Minnan society.
Top (Totem): Swallowtail ridges, motorcycles, and large temple incense burners. Symbolizing the chaotic yet vital cityscape of Minnan, where tradition and modernity intertwine.
Textual Imprint: Minnan proverbs appear within the visual design—"Sending letters to build big houses" (寄批起大厝), "Never lose to others in formation" (输人不输阵), and "Crossing from Tangshan to Taiwan" (唐山过台湾). These serve as textual footnotes to the history of migration and struggle.
Chapter 4: Destiny · Drawing
Interaction Logic (Draw): Before the visual presentation concludes, the experience enters the "Drawing Lots" phase.
Feedback: The system randomly generates a digital fortune stick (Career / Safety / Marriage).
Social Attribute: The fortune stick is not only a divination of luck but also possesses natural social currency, encouraging viewers to take photos and share, completing the secondary dissemination of the work's meaning.
Outro: The hand leaves, the light fades, and the prompt reappears, awaiting the next "Toh-Thàn" person.