In the Spring Breeze | 在春风里

Photo-transfer on vellum, fans, fishing wire, flash light
16"x74"74"
2024

I’ve been thinking about a Chinese square. One that could be a stage for collective rituals that shape us, and also a long lost platform for public forum. Our generation, born between the 90s to 00s, was born and left on a blurry square. Compared to previous generations, political life has been vastly reduced in ours. After 1989, with the economic boom and globalization, Chinese daily lives were soon filled with consumerist entertainment. We grew up licking the socialism wrapped capitalism lollipop, overwhelmed by the sweet Chinese dream, taking part in all the spectacular miracles, while the square became more and more blurry… The abundance of material makes you wonder if the square is a myth. In the spring breeze of reformation, fans are moving, working…trying to move people around… The development of technology brought not only a more convenient life, but also a more censored life. National machinery never runs so smoothly, so subtly, and so absurdly. The crowd (or the multitude, the communities?) has never been so blurry and quiet as well. It’s not that there is no sound. There are always subtle sounds coming out. But with all the fans, sometimes on and sometimes off, the words are buried into the breeze and the blurriness. All I want to do is to invite you to take a look at that square. The one that we are not sure about, that we have been avoiding, that makes subtle sounds that we almost cannot hear.
 

我最近一直在想广场之于中国人是怎样一种存在——它有它的两面性，它既可以是塑造集体身份的表演舞台，也可以是一个讨论政治议题的公共平台。我们这一代人（90年到00年之间出生）出生又被遗弃在一个模糊的广场上。比起前几代人，我们这一代的政治生活被大幅减少了。在1989年以后，随着经济发展和全球化，中国人的生活很快被消费娱乐填满。我们舔着社会主义包装的资本主义棒棒糖长大，做着甜美的中国梦，参与着一个又一个奇观与奇迹……与此同时，广场逐渐模糊，充盈的物质让

你开始疑惑广场到底是否存在。在改革的春风里，风扇在转动，试图把人们挪来挪去。科技的发展不仅带来了更方便的生活，也带了更方便的审查。国家机器从未运转地如此丝滑，如此微妙，又如此荒谬。群众（或者说人民、社群？）也从未如此暧昧而安静。但这不是说完全没有声音。声音是一直都有的。只不过在时而运转时而停歇的风扇间，这些话大多淹没在和煦的春风中了。我想做的只是邀请你来看一看这个广场。这个我们不太确定、试图逃避、发着我们不太听得到的声音的广场。