WORK
Echoes of Fragility 2.0, 2024
In "Echoes of Fragility," I weave a visceral tapestry that explores the entrenched vulnerabilities imposed on women's bodies and spirits by societal and patriarchal norms. This performance art piece uses the physicality of balloons—symbols of fragile yet resilient beauty—as a metaphor for the female form, encasing my own body in a rope laden with balloons and inviting audience members to pop them with needles provided by me.
This interaction is not merely about the act of popping balloons; it is a deliberate confrontation with the ways in which women's bodies are often sites of control and coercion. From birth, women are enmeshed in a web of expectations that compress both the physical form and the psychic space. In offering the needle to the audience, I implicate them in the act of societal and emotional puncture—where each balloon burst resonates with the echoes of physical and psychic pain inflicted on women.
WEN XINGTONG温杏童, 2024
Sound is a unique vessel of emotion, capable of conveying information and evoking deep-seated memories and feelings.
In my sound art piece "WEN XINGTONG 温杏童," I gather voice messages from my family and friends calling my name, creating a sound track rich with emotion and reminiscence.
HearHere, 2024
In the bustling arteries of London, every sound—whether a clatter, a whisper, or a roar—carries a shard of collective memory, embedding a narrative of the city’s vibrant life. "HearHere" delves into the intricate relationship between urban soundscapes and the memories they evoke. My project is an invitation to listeners to reconnect with the urban environment, not through the lens of sight, but through the intimate pathway of sound.
"HearHere" is born from a fascination with the way our urban environments shape, and are shaped by, the sounds they harbor. It is about capturing those fleeting auditory moments that define and are defined by the city’s unique identity. By recording the sounds of London’s streets at different times and settings, I aim to create a dynamic map of auditory experiences that reflect the city's temporal rhythms and cultural heartbeat.
Secret Garden Album 2.0: Riverside Soundscape is an innovative extension of the original Secret Garden Album, now set against the dynamic backdrop of London’s Nine Elms Riverside Walk. This sound art project continues to explore and illuminate the intricate relationships between plants, humans, and the world we share. The original inspiration stemmed from the belief that plants possess a sentient nature akin to humans and animals, aiming to give voice to the individuality of plants through the medium of sound.
In this project, I have meticulously selected a variety of plants from the Riverside Walk, capturing the distinct shapes and sizes of their leaves. Each leaf serves as the foundation for a unique sound, played on a different instrument. The choice of instrument and sound is carefully informed by the leaf’s individual characteristics, creating a diverse and rich sonic palette that mirrors the specific environment of the Riverside Walk.
The process involves recording and synthesizing these individual leaf sounds into a single, harmonious composition. This composition celebrates the riverside ecosystem and pays tribute to the plants that inhabit it, emphasizing the complex interconnectedness of nature within an urban landscape. By blending these natural sounds into an immersive auditory experience, the Riverside Soundscape invites listeners to reconsider their relationship with plants and the natural world, urging them to see it from a refreshed, more interconnected perspective.
Riverside Murmurs is a multifaceted installation that brings attention to the historical and ongoing relationship between the natural environment of the Thames riverside and the industrial developments that have taken place there.
The project is rooted in the idea of storytelling, where the narrative is not just about the past but also engages with present and speculative future scenarios. The aim is to create a dialog between the river as a natural habitat and the industrial transformations it has witnessed, emphasizing the harmony and discord that have emerged. This narrative is brought to life through a mix of digital and physical mediums, creating an evocative and thought-provoking experience.
In "Echoes of Fragility," I seek to create an immersive performance piece that delves into the nuanced conversations surrounding the perceived fragility of the female body. This work is inspired by the societal constructs that often define and confine women to a narrative of delicacy and vulnerability.
The performance is a living sculpture of existence and resistance. My body will be enveloped by balloons, delicate yet resilient symbols of the ephemeral nature of our existence. The balloons, trembling with the slightest movement, represent the many layers of societal pressures that women navigate through their lives—each one an echo of the fragile veneer that has been constructed around the concept of femininity.
"Disconnect" is a profound artistic exploration that delves into the heart of urban isolation, a reflective response shaped by my own social observations and personal encounters over recent years. This piece transcends the boundaries of traditional poetry, morphing into a multi-sensory experience that captures the essence of solitude amidst the urban sprawl.
The work commences with a poem born from the depths of my introspection — a narrative that weaves through the disconnectedness that pervades the city's air. Crafted into a three-minute auditory odyssey, this performance is anchored in a soundscape meticulously composed of recordings captured within the city's embrace. My body responds to this urban symphony, each movement an instinctual reaction to the layered textures of sound and sentiment.
"Disconnect" invites the audience to confront the quiet truth of our existence in these man-made mazes. It's a call to recognize the profound poetry in our plight, to hear the music in the madness, and to find connection within the very disconnection that defines our contemporary lives.
In this large-scale installation art project, I delve into the chal- lenges faced by contemporary Chinese youth as they navigate an increasingly anxiety-ridden urban landscape. Inspired by the recent popularity of two Chinese phrases—"內卷" (involu- tion) and "躺平" (lying flat)—my work aims to explore the shift in young people's attitudes towards self-expression and resis- tance against societal injustices.
The Secret Garden Album is a sound art project that seeks to explore and illuminate the intricate relationships between plants, humans, and the world we share. In- spired by the belief that plants possess a sentient nature akin to humans and animals, this work aims to give voice to the individuality of plants through the medium of sound.
Please Remeber Me!, 2022
PLEASE REMEMBER ME! PLEASE REMEMBER ME! is an immersive installation art piece that explores the cultural taboos sur- rounding death and mortality in Chinese society. Drawing inspiration from personal experiences and the collective consciousness, this work aims to confront the fear and silence that often accompany discus- sions of death, while encouraging a more open and compassionate dialogue about the inevitable end of life.
The project aims to help families of dying patients better understand and cope with the end of life, reduce the excessive fear of death, and ultimately, promote a more compassionate and supportive approach to this complex and deeply personal subject. I hope to inspire an open and meaningful dialogue about death within Chinese culture, encouraging people to embrace the fragility of life, cherish the memories of those who have passed, and find solace and connection in our shared humanity.
