"Liu Shui Xi" as the organizational network - served as co-curator
Preface
"The Liu Shui Xi", or "Banquet in Constant Flow", seen as a form of traditional Chinese dining phenomenon characterized by its fluidity, which beyond mere “sharing food”. In socio-scientific contexts, the rituals involved in communal dining construct rhizomatic network of multiplicities between diners, where participants can freely establish or disconnect relations with no fixed structure. The banquet layout adjusts to the host's circumstances. While typically designed for eight diners per table, it's not uncommon to see groups of over ten close relatives or friends desiring to sit together. Alternatively, there may be times when there aren't sufficient guests to occupy a table. In such instances, seating arrangements remain flexible.
As each dish is served, everyone dishes out portions for themselves. Guests arrive in their own time, some traveling from near and others from afar. Therefore, the concept of the "flowing banquet" is established, where guests can be seated and leave as they please.
The exhibition was situated in HE, an alternative art space about to be razed by force majeure. We embraced the rhizomatic and spontaneous organizational network. Termed a 'farewell banquet,' this exhibition integrated guests from diverse fields (artists, filmmakers, and architects etc.). They freely joined or left at will to keep the banquet in a state of indeterminacy.
As Nassim Nicholas Taleb pointed out, "History and societies do not crawl. They leap, from one fault line to another, with only minor tremors in between." Reflecting on the frequent occurrence of 'Black Swan' in recent years globally, and the abrupt demolition of the HE, we can't help but ponder: Is social life an accumulation of significant, unexpected shifts and leaps?
We vested possibilities in this fluid banquet, seeking opportunities amidst risks. Artists involved engage in dialogues organically both amongst themselves and with the space, responded the uncertainties of the "black swan". Through mutual permeation of each other's field and embracing differences, a fresh assemblage emerged. Rather than futilely resisting the “Black Swan” we advocated for a state of game-playing. We were uncertain when this banquet (exhibition) will come to an abrupt end. Therefore, we placed a question mark for the exhibition's end date.
"Archaeology of sound" -- He Gong
He Gong was born during the Cultural Revolution, a time when outdoor speakers served as conduits for crucial information and official narratives. These speakers became deeply intertwined with the fate and beliefs of every individual, standing as symbols of the era's "discipline."
In He Gong's artworks, the speaker takes on a parasitic presence, serving as a recurrent visual motif. Through various mediums, he persistently endeavors to deconstruct the 'discipline' of that time, using metaphors and narratives in his art.
It was installed outside the HE, the art space transformed from a local factory.
Audiences to the exhibition can hear the roar of construction work which was also a part of the exhibition.
In light of the government's initiative to create a local art park, some independent art institutions in the area including the HE were forced to be relocated.
"The Archaeology of Sound" stands directly opposite the construction zone. Once the development reaches our "Temporary Gallery", all our exhibits will need to be taken down. He Gong's artwork and exhibition serve as a response to this compulsory move.
"Archaeology of sound" after one year of the exhibition,
covered in rust
"Knowledge is power"-- Tangyong
Tang Yong, a subsequent participating artist, built an installation that delves into the themes of power and discourse found in He Gong's pieces. His work depicts the challenge of traditional knowledge systems by the rise of technocentrism. Four enormous arms maneuver cables, flipping through a diminutive book placed below. This visual captures what Foucault termed as 'meta-power' that permeates society. In the shadow of this overarching 'truth', knowledge seems almost insignificant.
"The Banquet"-- li Yongzheng
The film maker Li Yongzheng presented his piece "The banquet" in response to the exhibition's theme of the flowing feast.
In 2020, he traveled to the Xinjiang border, inviting several local ethnic minorities to dine together in the desolate desert canyons. In this dual-screen video, they each arrived at the destination, prepared food, drank, danced, and ate together. At the end of the feast, the table was set ablaze, as if the banquet never occurred. From initial distance, through several hours of interaction towards intimacy, to the peak of singing and dancing, followed by reluctant farewells. However, the "feast" must eventually end, and the burning table at the end is a response to reality.
The "banquet" took place in the vast desert, which served as a colossal stage where individuals seem incredibly insignificant, and only emotions can be magnified. When viewed from a more extended historical perspective, so-called values and civilizations can fade away, leaving behind the joys and sorrows of human interactions.
"Satellite of LOVE" -- collaborative project
To foster greater community engagement and dialogue, I launched a collaborative project with an opencall on social media.
I guided local participants to collect elements of folk aesthetics widely considered "unsightly" (hair salons, light boxes, illegal advertising stickers) to build a satellite, sending a provocative signal against elitist and centralized aesthetics.
"It's totally my fault" -- performance art by Xiangfeng
Xiang Feng's performance art project, launched at the opening ceremony. He dug a one cubic meter space in the ground and tattooed "it's totally my fault" on his leg, apologizing for the exhibition's 'inappropriateness'.
This is an ongoing public participation project, progressively inviting participants who wish to "confess" to tattoo "it's totally my fault" on themselves.
video
Extended Project:
Interdisciplinary Dialogue – With Rhizome as the Framework
Based the exhibitions’ concept, I hosted an online interdisciplinary talk show inviting guests from diverse disciplines, industries, and social backgrounds to participate in live-streamed dialogues. On given topic, the guests from diverse fields either clash in opinion or find common ground. The ultimate goal was to explore the potential for translation between the long-established thought paradigms inherent to the guests’ respective field, and challenging the established hierarchical tree-like structures of knowledge/power transmission. This was inspired by what Gilles Deleuze propose as the “rhizome” which emphasizes “connection”, “heterogeneity”, “multiplicity”.
In one episode, I hosted two architect involved in multiple urban landmark and community renewal projects, and a curator who studies urban changes from a historical imagery perspective.
Our conversation centered on urban renewal trends the associated controversies, such as gentrification. One specific concern we focused on was how gentrification might have adverse effects on indigenous residents.
Another episode featured PhD student working in art therapy, and PhDs in Counselling Psychology.
They mentioned death education and art therapy for family caregivers of terminal cancer patients, and the challenges of those with eating disorders from varied backgrounds in therapy.
