The Shore Where We Can Reach
Fishing boat, old furniture, wood
470 x 700 x 1000 cm
2015-2018
The Shore Where We Can Reach
YEAR: 2015
MATERIAL: Fishing boat, old furniture, wood
SIZE: 470 x 700 x 1000 cm
VENUE EXHIBITED:
2017 WHAT Has To Be Done, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China
2017 Planet 9, Kunsthalle Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
2018 1st Pingyao International Sculpture Festival, Pingyao, China
2018 Setouchi Triennale, Shodoshima, Kangawa, Japan
This large outdoor piece embodies a journey searching for a spiritual home. It is formed by fishing boats from the artist’s hometown and an architectural body re-constructed by discarded Chinese furniture. Boat is an iconic subject often depicted in Chinese literati paintings. Its narrow unadorned nautical form embodies the essence of Eastern aesthetics. Further, boat expresses strong symbolism: in Taoism, it is a metaphor for renouncing the secular; in Buddhism, it is an ark that transports human sufferings to the peaceful world. The middle structure of this work is a Chinese Zen house combined with Western-style arches. While the boats and the furniture become non-functional and impractical, the entire piece has transformed into an abstract architecture. It represents an embrace of different cultures and ideologies. Combining a sense of peace and harmony, it also intends to be a home for travellers and explorers.