Betel Cracker 2000 is a reflective project exploring Taiwan’s betel nut industry and questioning society’s linear progression. The installations integrate visual elements from this industry to capture society’s contradictory aspirations.

Betel nut, derived from Areca tree seeds, contains alkaloids like arecaidine and arecoline, which produce intoxicating, addictive, and carcinogenic effects. Like nicotine, these compounds enhance alertness, energy, euphoria, and relaxation. Taiwan’s betel nut industry emerged in the 1970s, coinciding with modernisation. Rural labour shortages arose as the government pushed for economic growth through construction and urbanisation. Farmers shifted to betel nut cultivation due to its profitability amidst declining crop values from global trade. The working class, drawn to its sensory effects, fueled growing demand. The project reimagines iconic elements from betel nut kiosks, like the peacock light, combining them with a nutcracker made from a hydraulic jack. This symbolises the contradiction between the addictive side effects of betel nut consumption and the idea of human progress.