The Ratman
神秘鼠人
2021
4 mins
40 secs
According to reports, a 53-year-old farmer named Chen claimed to have spotted a mysterious “ratman” around 8:30 PM near an abandoned farmland close to his home. The creature was estimated to be between 60 centimeters to one meter in length, with glowing eyes and agile movements. Scientists speculate that it may be an underground species, dwelling in dark corners or lightless caves. However, its origin, diet, and distribution remain unknown...
This work constructs a grotesque and mutated fictional world through absurd, irrational, and fragmented narrative techniques. Within this imagined realm, a paradoxical belief system emerges—where followers and idols exist in a cycle of mutual worship. The work deconstructs and inverts these dynamics through immersive panoramic video, drawing viewers into a surreal space where psychological manipulation, cult-like rituals, and eerie veneration unfold. The experience invites the audience to witness and be enveloped by the bizarre and uncanny rituals of collective reverence.
據悉，53歲的陳姓農夫在當天晚間八點三十分左右在自家附近廢棄農地，疑似捕抓到「神秘鼠人」的身影，其長度估計為60公分到一米左右，動作敏捷、眼睛發光，科學家推測應是生活在陰暗的角落或無光山洞裡的底層生物，不過對於來自何處、以什麼為食和分布情況等相關資訊還不清楚...
本作品試圖用怪誕、無理、碎片式的敘事手法，打造一個突變變形的假想世界，世界中存在著信徒與偶像相互崇拜的矛盾信仰關係，並將其解構及反轉。角色間的精神控制、具宗教感的大型儀式，在沉浸式的環景影像中，將觀者視角帶入其中，使群體感染劇情內荒誕又獵奇的崇敬儀式。
About Artist
Cheng-Wei Chen, Jeci, Yen
陳政維、陳品蓁、陳妍姍
Cheng-Wei Chen 陳政維
Cheng-Wei Chen, born in 2001 in Taipei, graduated in 2023 from the Department of New Media Art at Taipei National University of the Arts. The practice focuses on moving image as a primary medium.
Recent projects respond to Henri Bergson’s concept of the “mechanical encrusted upon the living,” using repetition, absurdity, and dislocated narratives to deconstruct comedic strategies. These approaches reflect on how laughter functions as a mode of viewing within contemporary art.
陳政維，2001年出生於台北，2023年畢業於國立台北藝術大學新媒體藝術學系，為一名影像藝術創作者。
近期在個人創作中嘗試以影像作品計畫回應亨利．伯格森提出的「機械性滑稽」，透過重複性、荒誕、不合時宜的敘事解構喜劇手法，實踐此概念在當代影像中的可能性，並嘗試梳理「笑」這個觀看反應在當代藝術場域中的意義。
Jeci 陳品蓁
Jeci is a visual artist based in Taipei, graduated from the Department of New Media Art at Taipei National University of the Arts in 2022. Her work explores 3D/CGI animation with an experimental approach, blending whimsical humor, absurdity, surrealism, and fragmented narratives.
1999出生於台北，2022年畢業於台北藝術大學新媒體藝術學系，作品多以3D動畫進行影像創作，並以實驗性為方向融合多種媒材、動畫裝置等，擅長透過滑稽幽默的角色質感，展現奇趣、超現實風格。
Yen 陳妍姍
Yen is a visual artist based in Taipei, born in Taichung in 2000. Graduated from the Department of New Media Art at Taipei National University of the Arts in 2024. Working as a VJ and motion designer, her practice spans 2D/3D animation, illustration, and cross-media visuals, employing surrealism and collage to construct layered visual scenes and narratives.
2000年生於台中，2024年畢業於台北藝術大學新媒體藝術學系。現於台北從事VJ與動態設計師，專注於影像與動畫創作，涵蓋2D、3D動畫、插畫與跨媒材影像。作品以超現實與拼貼手法構築層次豐富的視覺場景與敘事。
