9/5（Fri.)23:30 STWST84X11 FOG MANIFESTO, FLOODING THE ZONE WITH FOG, GABRIELA GORDILLO X YEN TZU CHANG - Sound Performance 📍 Stadtwerkstatt, Linz (AT)

Different Ending 末路之別

Gabriela Gordillo X Yen Tzu Chang

The two artists believe that when approaching death, we more profoundly understand the meaning of life. Although apocalyptic prophecies often lack scientific basis and appear absurd, might they serve as exercises for examining our lives?

Throughout history, predictions of the world’s end have continuously emerged across different periods and regions, from the Mayan 2012 prophecy to various religious forecasts. These narratives generate anxiety and fear in collective consciousness, yet having never materialized, they instead become opportunities to re-examine the meaning of life.

This 30-minute audio-visual performance simulates the final moments of an apocalyptic countdown. In this imagined moment, we contemplate: What would we do when death approaches? What would we think? Who would we miss? Who would we call? These questions point to the core of existence—what truly matters in life.

The performance creates an atmosphere of catastrophic scenarios through live microphones, pre-recorded voices, and multi-layered sound design, ultimately returning to human farewell words. These sounds serve as emotional carriers, guiding audiences into deep internal dialogue. Visually, the work originates from footage captured by Gabriela Gordillo in Mexico after an earthquake, showing destroyed surrounding buildings and remaining objects within homes. This footage is then transformed by Chang Yen-Tzu through AI into dynamic images, documenting the performance’s choreography.

Like those unfulfilled prophecies, this performance will not bring actual termination. Instead, it provides an opportunity for rehearsal—experiencing scenarios within an artistic framework, reflecting on real-life choices and values. When the performance ends and audiences return to daily life, they might examine themselves from different perspectives: Is our current life truly what we want?

This work does not intend to create fear or despair, but responds to life through deep perception. This 30-minute journey leads toward self-awareness and serves as an artistic response to contemporary anxiety culture.

兩位藝術家認為在接近死亡時，我們更加深刻理解生命的意義。儘管末日預言往往缺乏科學依據且顯得荒謬，但它們或許可以作為審視我們生命的練習?

縱觀歷史，世界末日的預言不斷出現在不同時期和地區，從馬雅2012年預言到各種宗教預測。這些敘事在集體意識中產生焦慮和恐懼，然而從未實現的它們，反而成為重新審視生命意義的契機。

這場30分鐘的視聽表演模擬了末日倒數的最後時刻。在這個想像的瞬間，我們思考:當死亡來臨時，我們會做什麼?會想些什麼?會想念誰?會打電話給誰?這些問題指向存在的核心，生命中真正重要的是什麼。

表演透過現場麥克風、預錄人聲和多層次的聲音設計，創造出災難場景的氛圍，最終回歸到人類的告別話語。這些聲音作為情感的載體，引導觀眾進入深層的內在對話。視覺上源自Gabriela Gordillo在墨西哥拍攝地震過後，周圍建築物摧毀，以及家中畫面殘留的物品，再由張晏慈透過AI成為動態影像，並且紀行演出的編排。

如同那些未曾實現的預言，這場表演不會帶來真正的終結。相反地,它提供了一次排演的機會，在藝術框架內體驗情境，反思真實生活中的選擇和價值觀。當演出結束，觀眾回歸日常生活時，他們或許會從不同角度審視自己:我們現在的生活真的是我們想要的嗎?

這件作品無意製造恐懼或絕望，而是透過深刻的感知來回應生命。這趟30分鐘的旅程引向自我覺察，並作為對當代焦慮文化的藝術回應。