Mud Metamorphoses 泥土變形記 - HSU Yi Ting 許懿婷，淤泥是金？

泥土變形記 Mud Metamorphoses

行為2小時、易北河淤泥雕塑、紙本文件、雙頻道行為有聲錄像11分30秒循環播放、現成物、易北河淤泥、植物、石頭，依場地而定。
西向塔樓藝術村，漢堡，德國，2022。

Performance 2hours, Elbe Rive silt sculptures, paper documents, two-channel performance video 11 mins 30 sec loop with sound, readymade, Elbe River mud, plants, stone, dimensions variable.
Westwerk.org , Hamburg, Germany, 2022.

漢堡市文化與媒體部國際藝術家在德國漢堡 Westwerk 的駐留項目，駐村期間2022年7月1日至9月30日。
Hamburg Ministry for Culture and Media Residency for International Artists at Westwerk, Hamburg, Germany. Residency from July1 to September 30 in 2022.

這個以行為計畫為基礎的作品《泥巴變形記》以漢堡港為核心，批判資本主義結構、後疫情全球貿易與環境操控。作品運用「淤泥逆流」的概念，抵抗「易北河加深計劃」，將淤泥運回市中心作為象徵性貢品。作品強調河流、淤泥與港口在物質轉化中的權力動態，探討河道如何被重新雕塑以契合中國貨船，以及淤泥如何被轉換資源與利益，從而反思人類欲望如何重塑自然與社會，並質疑資本主義烏托邦的理想化願景。

This performance-based work focuses on Hamburg's port, critiquing capitalist structures, post-pandemic global trade, and environmental manipulation. Utilizing the concept of "Mud Counterflow," it resists the "Elbe Deepening Project" by returning the mud to the city center as a performative tribute. The piece highlights the power dynamics in the material transformation of rivers, mud, and ports, exploring how the river was resculpted to accommodate Chinese ships and how the mud is converted into resources and profits. It questions how human desires reshape nature and society, critiquing the idealization of a capitalist utopia.

泥土是金 Ｍud is Money

《泥巴變形記》呈現了漢堡是港口與中國海運企業的關係運作，以經濟結構為基礎展開對易北河自然、城市規劃和國際貿易的研究，指出加深易北河促進經濟增長背後的交易現實。漢堡作為國際港口，在 2011 年有幸被命名為歐洲綠色首都，是德國最大的港口，也是歐洲最大的港口之一，最近則因易北河的加深而成為負面頭條新聞，更因市政府出售港口股權給中國中遠海運集團掀起巨大爭議。港口貿易積累的財富與易北河深化工程有關，牽連著各大企業與國際關係。在這個城市，易北河『淤積』這個自然現象不被允許。

在易北河加深工程中，污泥必須被清除，必須被移至外海Nordsee。然而，這注定為一場生態災難和經濟失敗，加深工程是一場與自然抗衡的悲哀競賽，在投注大筆資金成噸的泥漿轉移到外海後，河流在不到一年的時間內便恢復到以前的深度。泥巴在人類社會中蛻變，作為一種媒介，象徵著漢堡市的財富，同時也是全球化中的人類慾望，在資本主義合作的交換遊戲中，基於全球專業分工的結構下，交易的背後可以保有什麼社會價值呢？

本計畫包含影像、雕塑與行為，執行工作始於易北河沿岸和漢堡市中心之間的移動。運動分兩部分，一是從易北河挖泥運到中心城區；第二，在中心城周圍撒泥巴，這些運動包含泥土從勞動工業區至商業精品區，藍領階級制白領階級的空間調度，以及被期待去除的泥巴不斷被送回市中心，作為對漢堡市進貢的象徵。展覽空間，除了播放泥巴被運送的影像，還包含挖掘與運送泥巴的潮汐工作文件，以及運用泥巴製成的市徽與「中國製造」用以指出港口與中資的合作關係。

Mud Metamorphoses – Hsu Yi Ting（許懿婷) solo exhibition present the operation of Hamburg City, based on the economic system, develop the exploration of nature in Elbe River, urban planning, and global relationships. This project as an art residency project in Westwerk began from 2 July, and the exhibition begin from 25 August to 4 September in 2022.

Hamburg City, representing the international harbor, was honored to be named European Green Capital in 2011, the largest port in Germany but also one of the largest in Europe. The wealth built on the port trade, relay to the Elbe deepening project, connecting with benefit from companies and countries. In this city, deposition is not allowed even though it is a natural phenomenon. The mud was removed and believed it could be sustainably placed in Nordsee.

Mud metamorphosed through human society. Mud as an intermediary, symbolizing the wealth in Hamburg, mud as a material showing the human desire in globalization, mud as part of nature returning to Elbe River after removal. The exchange games running with capitalism, relying on inter-national specialization, what kind of value can be approached behind the trade?

Hsu’s work began with the movement between the Elbe river side and the center of Hamburg city. There are two part of the movement, first, Hsu dig the mud from Elbe river and carry to central city; second, Hsu dropping the mud around central city. These movement are the symbol of tribute for Hamburg City. During the exhibition period, ten days in total from 8/25 to 9/4, the movement will keep going. Transport the mud as a performance, working with the tide of Elbe River, Hsu carrying the fresh mud back the city every day and confer to Hamburg City.

Mud Metamorphoses present with performance and installation, trying to point out the contradictory realism. The other two performances on 8/24 and 9/2 at 20:00, were develop from the motif of Mud Metamorphoses – Trade, combined with some visual element from the observation during the residency.

Movement 1 – Side to Center

從邊陲至中心，挖掘易北河的泥土運送至市中心。
From side to city center, dig the mud from Elbe River, and carry to city center.

挖掘地點位於Veddel，此地區屬於威廉斯堡的易北島，夾在北易北河和南易北河之間，人口約4,400人，逾50%的居民來自近50個國家的外國人。Veddel以其多元文化氛圍和工業區聞名，是一個傳統的工人階級區域，與物流和港口相關的工業密切相連。藝術家在自行車拖車運載泥土，穿越新易北河大橋到市中心的新城區。

Digging location happen in Veddel, belong to Elbe Island of Wilhelmsburg, lies nestled between the North and South Elbe, population around 4,400, over 50% resident are aliens from almost 50 nations. Veddel is known as it’s multicultural flair and industrial area, being a traditional working-class district, with industrial arms of logistics and harbor related. Hsu carry the mud on the trailer behind the bike, cross the Neue Elbbrücke to the city center and stop in Neustadt.

Movement 2 – Tide works

同潮汐運動
Work with the tide, work as the tide.

易北河加深工程中，潮汐自然地引起不可見的回流運動。同潮汐運動的行為想象是將泥土回流的現象具體化，使泥土回返城市。十天的展期中，藝術家不斷地將泥土運回城市，同潮汐運動作為一種行為與一種藝術家的工作。

Based on the Elbe deepening project, the invisible movement of returning cause by the tide naturally. Work as the tide is an imagination with keep returning the mud to the city by human being, a visible movement transformed from the tide. During the exhibition period about 10 days, Hsu keeping transporting the mud back to the city as a performance, an artist job, working with the tide of Elbe River.

Movement 3 – Returning

泥土歸返
Dropped the mud from Elbe River and return to city.

從邊緣到中心、從工業區到商業區、從工人階級到上層階級的回歸。行為者作為一個中介，騎著自行車與拖車，將泥土運往市中心。回歸的路線從Stadthausbrücke開始，經過Neuer Wall、德意志銀行、漢堡商會、Hygieia噴泉、市政廳到達Jungfernstieg。然後通過Große Bleichen回到Stadthausbrücke。

The returning from side to center, from industry area to business area, from working-class to upper-class. Hsu as an intermediary, biking with the trailer behind, carry the mud to the central city. The returning route begin from Stadthausbrücke, pass by Neuer Wall, Deutsche Bank Wealth Management, Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, Hygieia fountain, Rathaus, to Jungfernstieg. Then back through Große Bleichen to Stadthausbrücke.