菜鴿不是台灣原生種，在現存史料中只能略知大航海時代經由荷蘭人引進，而地方耆老碎片拼湊的口述紀錄也難以釐清他的前世今生。從村民口中普遍獲得「這我爺爺時代就有了」，我們都叫他「土種仔菜鴿」這類的原生記憶，在田野踏查、耆老訪談的線索推測下，才驚覺菜鴿存在的價值僅剩下揹負著也漸孤鳴獨響的鴿笭。

為了填補對他的過度期待與想像所造成的遺憾，重返現場的獵奇搜集外，我還虛構改編一場因地域重疊他們也能參與其中，關於民族大義的史詩戰役—竹篙山之役。賦予菜鴿揹笭重任善用僅存的價值，密謀將秘密信息傳送到抗日義軍手上，為他們留下些許的歷史地位。最終義軍還是因武力懸殊戰敗，與村民們一路逃至蕭壠社。

註：現僅存於台南、嘉義縣界八掌溪以南，急水溪流域以北的地方民俗活動「放鴿笭」，鴿笭是裝在鴿子尾部，受風時會發出聲響的器具，每年農曆二月期間，村民利用菜鴿體型大能耐重，揹著鴿笭往返村庄競賽所從事的農閒娛樂。傳言起源明鄭，歷經清領、日殖，也曾因鴿笭聲像空襲警報聲而一度遭日明令禁止所有活動。


Meat pigeons, which are not native species in Taiwan, might be introduced from Southern Pacific regions during the Age of Discovery. Villagers commonly believe that the species came to Taiwan long time ago before their grandfathers’ generation. The memory about “indigenous meat pigeons” has been shared by the locals since our childhood. However, it is still hard to figure out their origin and historical background. Surprisingly, the remaining value of the meat pigeon for humans nowadays is carrying Red Feet Ling which makes the lonesome whistle, according to historical documents and narrations from the elders. In order to make up for the disappointment from the high expectation, apart from returning to the scene for the sight novelty, I also reproduce a historic theme full of patriotic sentiment, the Battle of Mt. Zhugao, for the visitors to participate in. I attempt to highlight the role meat pigeons have played in history as the indispensable Ling carrier and value their contribution for our tradition.

P.S. The folk activity “Pigeon Ling Racing”, said to be dated back to Ming-Zheng era, was the annual competition between pigeons carrying “Ling”, which made sound when wind blows through. Every February in lunar calendar, usually an off-season for farmers, villagers held the contest by sending meat pigeons, which were larger and better carriers, to carry Ling on their backs flying to another village and returning home, as winter-time entertainment. At the later stage of WWII, US army had launched air raids against Taiwan. Pigeon Ling was then prohibited by law because it sounded like air raid sirens. The folk tradition of “Pigeon Ling Racing” has thus faded away by time with only very few villages still holding the contests in a smaller scale.


竹篙山戰役與紅腳笭，高雄獎，高雄台灣，2020
照片、剪報、收集、現地製作
尺寸依現場而定
The Battle of Mt. Zhugao and Red Feet Ling, Kaohsiung Award, Kaohsiung Taiwan 
Photography, newspaper clipping, collection, Site-Specific
Dimensions Variable 

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超越15分鐘的成名路徑－淺談李立中的鴿史
薛保瑕｜國立臺南藝術大學榮譽教授

李立中《竹篙山戰役與紅腳笭》計劃型暨跨領域的作品，是需要細細地品味的。「賽鴿歸巢」的本領是創作者深深著迷的起源，也促成了他創作的動機。這是一件以田野文史調查的方式結合大量史料、文件、剪報等檔案，與自其友人工作室索取無用的木料和公家單位撤展後不用丟棄的物資等構造的一座菜鴿舍，併置於展場空間內的作品。
現場瀰漫著養鴿舍特有的氣味，增加了真實感。但創作者探究菜鴿扮演「揹負著日漸凋零、孤鳴獨響的鴿笭」的角色，卻是他對這個「土種仔菜鴿」平反的重點。因此，如何在現場史料中，發覺創作者自述中所說的：「從寓教於樂的功能再進行另類的編造、杜撰、宣傳，透過檔案的生產去充填平反似幽魂般的凋零沒落」的虛構事蹟；同時瞭解他如何以「哪怕只是輕鬆的看展晃過，也能因為這些文本而讓菜鴿成名超過15分鐘，這才是我真正想做之事」回應安迪・沃荷說的：「在未來，每個人都能成名15分鐘」的預言，可能都是這件作品藉由資料，鋪陳「真假事實」並存的敘事文本，與揭示「以鴿擬人」超越15分鐘成名的共構關係的企圖！
現實中，我們可以在生活環境中常看到屋頂處臨時搭建的「鴿舍」，也成為臺灣居住環境中生猛的「另類風景」。創作者以鴿笭觸及了殖民史的流變成因，也引介了特定族群溫和的交流方式。在這個閱讀的空間內，是需要以放空，以對未知再學習的態度，去理解由鴿子所銜繫的人與人之間的關係。