In response to the theme of the exhibition, “Fakirs 苦行者 ” this piece of work focuses on the modern-day endurance in Shanghai and people’s ability to adapt to different environment.
Work in situ…
For me … this new series of work is very much about the ‘here and now’ in Shanghai, the construction craze…
I love the Chinese intervention in the public spaces…
Hope nothing is fragile in the mountain of parcels? And to think in a month’s time… my parcel home might be one of them?
Yesterday was my first experience of a tube cancellation in Shanghai, after being here for more than two months! It’s funny how the announcement was made, a loudspeaker was placed by the ticket entrance and the same message kept repeating itself, again and again. Because it was so loud, it took me 10 mins before I started listening to the announcement. I was so used to blocking off all the sound in Shanghai, the honking etc, I didn’t register what it was saying.
Although I really miss London peak hours (mostly the Londoners tube etiquette), I don’t miss the delays..
Among the many places I have visited to date, I think Thames Town probably left one of the more lasting impressions and subconsciously I think it has informed a lot of my recent work.
Imagined a small quiet town in the UK artificially created 20miles outside Shanghai, a city that is normally filled with noise and people. Here in Thames Town, apart from the wedding couples taking photos, the whole town is just a ghost town. It was almost impossible to find a place for lunch. All the shop houses were just empty shells, the architecture looked just like the old Tudor houses/ Victorian houses in the UK. However, there was no life in the area.. a very strange place.
A silly phrase came to mind and have been playing over and over again in my head..
真是真 假是假
说假是假 说真是真
真真假假 只在心中
Fancy weighing in public?
There is someone who can help.
Screen protector for your phone?
There is someone who can help.
Newpaper articles are filled with H1N1 influenza news and the seriousness of the flu pandemic. However, there’s no news article talking about ’sneezing etiquette’!
As we’re entering into winter months, there are a lots of people coughing and sneezing on the street! However, in China, instead of using tissues, people here just sneeze ‘openly’ and allowing ‘mucus’ to just drip down to the floor! Yes… ewww…! In the Shanghai metro, when it’s packed of people, it’s quite a challenge trying to avoid all these traps!
This morning, my journey to the printer has turned out to be more stressful than anticipated. My heart just skipped every time I heard someone sneeze or about to spit… making sure they are not within close proximity… quite a challenge in a crowded city like Shanghai.
I was almost tempted to do a documentary project, questioning if Chinese would find it discomfort if they would see these behaviours in a film/ large scale photograph? However, I don’t think I have the stomach to take it on..
For the time being.. I am in need of an Apple App for ‘avoiding spit’ !!
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