“Bagasse Missiles” a part of “Before the Storm – Taiwan on the Frontier of Past and Future” at Ludwig Museum

“Bagasse Missiles” assembled from bagasse and agricultural remnants, probe the power dynamics and global flows that underpin tropical cash crops. Using bagasse to craft various traditional farming tools, the artist assembles them into several modeled missiles that commonly sold by the United States to Taiwan. In doing so, the piece examines the historical evolution of the sugarcane industry, from agricultural commodity to daily necessity, and ultimately to a source of military fuel such as ethanol and butanol. The installation also responds to current geopolitical tensions, referencing conflicts ranging from Gaza and the Russia-Ukraine war to the persistent threats across the Taiwan Strait. Suspended in the gallery, the missile becomes an interactive “fitness apparatus” that engages viewers physically. This gesture not only references sugar’s legacy as a contested colonial commodity but also points to its modern repositioning as excess calories that people now strive to eliminate through exercise. The installation draws connections between labor and physical training, while reflecting on how energy, both bodily and material, is produced, managed, and repurposed across time.

Curators

Krisztina SZIPŐCS, Deputy Director for Professional Affairs, Ludwig Museum
HU Yung-Fen, Independent Curator in collaboration with MoCA TAIPEI

Artists｜CHANG En-man, CHANG Li-Ren, ChihChung CHANG, CHEN Ching-Yuan, CHEN Chun-Yu, CHENG Hsien-Yu, HSU Chia-Wei, HUANG Tzu-Ming, LEE Mingwei, LI Yi-Fan, LIU Yu, LO Yi-Chun, Simple Noodle Art (CHEN Zi-Yin, CHUANG Hsiang-Feng), SO Yo-Hen, Hong-Kai WANG, YANG Mao-Lin, Your Bros. Filmmaking Group (SO Yo-Hen, TIEN Zong-Yuan, LIAO Hsiu-Hui), YUAN Goang-Ming, Yuma·Taru, ZHANG XU Zhan

Venue｜ Ludwig Museum, Budapest, Hungary
From November 14, 2025 till March 29, 2026
For more information: https://www.ludwigmuseum.hu/en/programme/exhibition-opening-storm-taiwan-frontier-past-and-future