Community of Practice

CLOUD

The project CLOUD provided inspiration for my project. CLOUD (Caitlind r.c. Brown & Wayne Garrett) was a community project, constructed with the help of friends and the kindness of strangers, the sculpture was constructed from 1500 lbs of steel and 6000 incandescent light bulbs (new and burnt out). This work was originally intended to reflect the importance of light to people.Caitlind r.c. Brown is a Calgary-based artist, curator, and collaborator,she says “During the exhibition, the audience is asked to surrender their inhibitions, unlearning the “Please Do Not Touch” policy of traditional gallery spaces.” But the real magic of CLOUD lies in her value as an icon of hope, optimism, and collective action. This public work unexpectedly brings people closer to each other.It is worth analyzing about this piece is that it is very interactive and draws people closer to each other. My project has been looking at relationships, especially between strangers. The same thing as my project philosophy is that we all want to transfer energy.

Fig.1, CLOUD at Nuit Blanche. Photo by Doug Wong

THE KEY IN THE HAND

When I asked for story memories, related objects, images, and recordings, I borrowed the method used by Japanese artist Shiota Chiharu to create THE KEY IN THE HAND.

For creating my projects I use the concepts and methods of collecting people's memories and recreating objects. For the creation of my projects I use the concept and method of collecting people's memory stories, and re-creating objects. Artist Chiharu Shioda's work has a unique understanding of the relationship between collection and memory. “Confronting fundamental human concerns such as life, death and relationships, Shiota explores human existence throughout various dimensions by creating an existence in the absence either in her large-scale thread installations that include a variety of common objects and external memorabilia or through her drawings, sculptures, photography and videos.”

She often uses the method of social solicitation to collect daily objects and put them into her works as a mark of life. Such as hospital beds, suitcases, keys, windows and shoes, etc., intervene in these objects to find memories and experiences, to explore the relationship between life and death, and to tell the story behind everything affectionately.

About this work THE KEY IN THE HAND, she says “As I create the work in the space, the memories of everyone who provides me with their keys will overlap with my own memories for the first time. These overlapping memories will in turn combine with those of the people from all over the world who come to see the biennale, giving them a chance to communicate in a new way and better understand each other's feelings.”

Fig.2, THE KEY IN THE HAND,Shiota Chiharu ,2015 solo exhibition: Japan Pavilion, 56th Venice Biennale Venice, Italy,photos by Sunhi Mang

Zagreb's Museum of Broken Relationships

Starting as a playfully ironic art installation and subsequently an international touring exhibition, the Museum of Broken Relationships has become one of Zagreb's most unusual and most popular museum attractions since opening in 2010. It has more than 1000 exhibits donated by lovelorn people all over the world.

This museum is very interesting and the objects on display are private objects. From collecting personal experiences to relational interpretations, its concept and form are relevant to my project. I may have more to think about in terms of exploring relationships and boundaries between people than just the fact that it is concerned with only gender relations.

I hope that my work will impact people's lives and that it may lead you to a certain important, soon to be forgotten relationship deep down in your memory.

Lee Mingwei, The Letter Writing Project

“Lee Mingwei explains how the idea for “The Letter Writing Project” has its roots in his own biography. After the death of his grandmother, he thought a lot about the things he would have liked to say to her. This prompted him to start writing letters to her, almost writing down the unsaid words of the soul. With the work that emerged from this idea of the therapeutic effect of writing, he now aims to provide exhibition visitors with a space in which they can do the same right now, and not only when a death in the family interrupts the daily routine. His intention here is threefold: to affect the sender, the recipient and those who participate in the project as silent observers, providing food for thought for their own lives from letters written by strangers to strangers.”

Lee records and presents what people want to say through letters. The whole display is also solemn in its way. My project also requires this kind of seriousness in thinking about relationships. He talks about healing hearts and mending regrets through letters. I also want to heal the mind through the little stories on each relationship bottle.