The Making of Fried Rice

Event Information

The Making of Fried Rice is a VR gaming simulacrum by Barcode People that invites participants into a one-on-one encounter with the metaphysical and ontological dimensions of fried rice. Through the hyperabsurd gathering and frying of uncanny “ingredients”, touch becomes ritualised ping, ingredients become fragmented truths — constructing a hypnagogic meditation on identity, value, emotion, and ideology.

The Making of Fried Rice draws inspiration from the staple food of Chinese restaurants—fried rice. When the members of Barcode People travel, Chinese restaurants consistently make their way onto their lists of places to visit. Despite serving similar foundational Chinese dishes, each location introduces localised variations. The subtle taste differences serve as a reflection of the social connections between diverse societies and the Chinese diaspora. The inherent nature of fried rice, with its diverse and versatile ingredients, mirrors the philosophies of being, identity, collective living, and more. With this project, Barcode People envisions to spark curiosity among spectators about the intricacies of humanity, cultures, and histories, planting the seeds for the emergence of a new cultural paradigm.

By facilitating the audiences with such an interactive VR gaming experience, we hope people can intimately experiment and create their own version of fried rice. By doing so, everyone can take a step back and re-examine the emergence of culture and the importance of cultural complexity.

This exhibition can be considered a constant VR theatre performance involving interaction among the participants, creators and space.

 

《炒，飯》是條形碼族的一個虛擬實境（VR）遊戲模擬作品，邀請觀眾以一對一方式體驗炒飯的形上學與本體論層面。在這個超荒誕的「食材」收集與烹煮過程中，觸感被儀式化，食材則化作支離破碎的真理——構築出一場關於身份、價值、情感與意識形態的半夢境冥想。

《炒，飯》的靈感來自華人餐館的經典主食——炒飯。條形碼族成員在旅途中，華人餐館總是他們必去的清單之一。雖然每家餐館都供應相似的基本中式菜餚，但每個地點都會帶來當地化的微妙差異。這些細微的味道差異，反映了多元社會與華人僑民之間的社會連結。炒飯本身的多元與靈活性，亦映照出存在、身份、集體生活等哲學思考。透過這個作品，條形碼族希望激發觀眾對人類、文化與歷史複雜性的好奇心，為新文化範式的萌生播下種子。

透過這個互動式 VR 遊戲體驗，觀眾可以親身嘗試並創造自己的「炒飯版本」，進而暫時退後一步，重新審視文化的生成及文化複雜性的意義。

本展覽亦可視作一場持續進行的 VR 劇場演出，參與者、創作者與空間共同互動，形成持續變動的現場體驗。

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Making of Fried Rice – Workshop with Barcode People

Making of Fried Rice is a participatory workshop designed as an extension of the VR installation The Making of Fried Rice by Barcode People. Drawing on the idea of fried rice as an improvised, layered dish, the workshop invites participants to imagine and share their own ‘ingredients’-symbols, memories, ideas, or sensations-they would mix into such a world. 

Rather than being limited to the VR experience, these ‘ingredients’ are open-ended: they can be personal, abstract, speculative, or surreal. With participants’ permission, select elements may be incorporated into future iterations of the VR installation-transforming.

條形碼族： 炒，飯製作坊

〈炒，飯製作坊〉是一場參與式工作坊，作為「條形碼族」VR 裝置作品《炒，飯》的延伸而設計。靈感源於炒飯作為一種即興、層疊的料理形式，工作坊邀請參與者想像並分享自己會加入這個世界的「食材」——可以是符號、記憶、想法或感官感受。

這些「食材」並不限於 VR 體驗本身，而是開放且多元的：它們可以是個人化的、抽象的、猜想性的，甚至是超現實的。經參與者同意後，部分元素或將被納入未來版本的 VR 裝置之中，使作品持續轉化與生長。