My approach to Exhibition of Nine Artists, WuZhen

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Regarding the exhibition, what I did first was to find few ways that are simple and ascetic, nothing but projecting video clips, posting design statements and exhibiting some images on the wall. The following question is, what if I just add one more stroke based on these? With only one stroke of procedure, what difference will it make? It is often said that design is like dancing with shackles, then my process is shrinking the size of the shackle to its minimum, and then thinking on top of that. 

 

In this way of thinking, it corresponds with a modality. What makes it more interesting is that I found the possibility of those new strokes first and then decided to exhibit in such way, ascetically and straightforwardly.  

 

This is a projection screen that I drew, and intentionally, I split it in two to create a gap of projecting screen. In the video, there is also a clip of ‘re-taking video’ by recording the projection of my video on the studio wall. During the shooting, I passed by in front of the projector with the camera holding it in my hands and left my shadow in the video.

 

The design statement printed on a piece of A4 paper was put up against the wall, and this statement was also projected on top of the former. With my hand turning pages, the two visions of the statement are superimposing on one another.

 

I also presented images of my design within a digital photo frame, and because they are works of stage design, I mounted it with a model frame which is frequently used in scenographic design. The model frame I used was actually a remnant from my studio, wobbling with perspective, and, my biography was displayed as a film with video projection of performances onto my face.

 

It is all about seeking the larger ‘possibility’ in the simplest ‘exhibition.' Artists are the one who bring up questions and then showing their intellect by solving them. Self-questioning, setting new rules and self-answering, are hypostases of the game. It is important that my understanding of the relationship between techniques and art penetrated in the way of using video in my exhibition.

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Excerpted from " From Photography to Scenography---Thoughts after the Exhibition of Nine Artisits, WuZhen"

Publish in A Theoretical Approach to Chinese Scenography in the Twentieth Century