Samsara: An exhibition by Lihui at 18 on the Bund
From Samsara to Nirvana
Samsara, an installation by Li Hui at 18 on the Bund, Shanghai
January 03, 2008
Samsara is reincarnation but etymologically reinterpreted in Chinese by the installation artist as a disappearing state of transition. The installation of Samsara by Li Hui is experientially theatrical, holographic and spiritual.
When inside, besides the glaring laser rays, one is physically swarmed by total darkness. One seems like being catapulted into a black hole in search of some long lost secrets. When in darkness, the state of self-awareness significantly increases to contrast the perceptual state and, possibly one begins to lose sense of one's presence. Could it be a process of soul searching instead of finding one's way around?
The presentation intends to disorient senses while keeping one firmly on the ground when moving around. In subtle motion drawn into a deep, dark space, the curious path leads to the gateway barricaded with a solid, transparent glass. Tricked and not allowed entry, one has to be relegated aside to take optional way in or out. This choreographed trap implicates an expressive theatrical labyrinth. If not, it is an instant of decision making moment at this point of departure or point of no return, the metaphor of spiritual enlightenment.
On the right of the gateway is placed a machine that occasionally spews smoke to sensationalize the installation ambience. This is where crude artistry crossing its clichéd boundary, where nothing more to elaborate for meaningful exposition, but only twisting to do or say too much. In this particular scenario, it is a freak show out of some theatrical farce; it is so discordant that it should be scrapped. This is hardly post modernistic.
In various cascading colors, at the gateway as well as on and around the bed, the sputtering, streaking laser rays seem to invariably shred the one-dimensional darkness into elongated geometrical trapezoids and into crumbling bits at tapering targets. With penetrating rays interacting with dust particles freely floating in space, the thin and intangible lineal illumination relapses across in the air and settles into some powdery dots. Together with the brightening and diminishing laser rays, the hot ambers generated by those powdery dots are also in their initially intense but finally subsiding energy emission, all aptly explicate the disintegrating state of life form. It is a transitional state of some disappearing being, from samsara to nirvana.
Where the only bed is installed like any other single bed at home, only a piece of naturally crumpled clothing is left displayed on the bed. The laser rays illuminating from above seems to spray and sprinkle the bed with sandy light dots.
If a bed were to always connote an ultimate place of birth and death, then it is a fair visual semantic in transmitting the sense of samsara, the moment of passing. The bed is where one materializes into a being and it is also where one eventually disappears into void, i.e. born or passed on.
The light rays seems to explicate some endowed enlightenment of a path taken in life; amber dots in turn explicates the fragmented physical and spirituality – for the bed without any figurative form but material objects is indicative of immaterial or intangible state of being.
The installation inevitably conjures spiritual understanding of reincarnation. Perhaps, it raises question as to where we are going to, for we are already here in our existing state of transition
Either lifted from or making tribute to some cinematographic sci-fi show, the presentation is only an idea, a reincarnated idea. It is the state of intense consciousness changing into oblivious non-existence. It is in absolute darkness that actually cannot be visualized; one cannot see or cannot be seen. It is the tangible existence that can only be sensed via sensory perceptions.
Where visitors are themselves parts of the live prop when they view or participate in the installation, Samsara is affirmatively a theatrical reenactment. Samsara rekindles our genuine sense of perception, our perception in time and through space. It touches base with our personality and ego and it reminds of our existence.
The answer to Samsara is self-referential. For the installation, its tone is neither joyful nor sad, its notion neither apocalyptic nor radical, and its imagery neither grotesque nor nostalgic. The answer to samsara is also self-referential: it is already a process of our being, from samsara to nirvana.
Samsara, an installation by Li Hui at 18 on the Bund, Shanghai
January 03, 2008
Samsara is reincarnation but etymologically reinterpreted in Chinese by the installation artist as a disappearing state of transition. The installation of Samsara by Li Hui is experientially theatrical, holographic and spiritual.
When inside, besides the glaring laser rays, one is physically swarmed by total darkness. One seems like being catapulted into a black hole in search of some long lost secrets. When in darkness, the state of self-awareness significantly increases to contrast the perceptual state and, possibly one begins to lose sense of one's presence. Could it be a process of soul searching instead of finding one's way around?
The presentation intends to disorient senses while keeping one firmly on the ground when moving around. In subtle motion drawn into a deep, dark space, the curious path leads to the gateway barricaded with a solid, transparent glass. Tricked and not allowed entry, one has to be relegated aside to take optional way in or out. This choreographed trap implicates an expressive theatrical labyrinth. If not, it is an instant of decision making moment at this point of departure or point of no return, the metaphor of spiritual enlightenment.
On the right of the gateway is placed a machine that occasionally spews smoke to sensationalize the installation ambience. This is where crude artistry crossing its clichéd boundary, where nothing more to elaborate for meaningful exposition, but only twisting to do or say too much. In this particular scenario, it is a freak show out of some theatrical farce; it is so discordant that it should be scrapped. This is hardly post modernistic.
In various cascading colors, at the gateway as well as on and around the bed, the sputtering, streaking laser rays seem to invariably shred the one-dimensional darkness into elongated geometrical trapezoids and into crumbling bits at tapering targets. With penetrating rays interacting with dust particles freely floating in space, the thin and intangible lineal illumination relapses across in the air and settles into some powdery dots. Together with the brightening and diminishing laser rays, the hot ambers generated by those powdery dots are also in their initially intense but finally subsiding energy emission, all aptly explicate the disintegrating state of life form. It is a transitional state of some disappearing being, from samsara to nirvana.
Where the only bed is installed like any other single bed at home, only a piece of naturally crumpled clothing is left displayed on the bed. The laser rays illuminating from above seems to spray and sprinkle the bed with sandy light dots.
If a bed were to always connote an ultimate place of birth and death, then it is a fair visual semantic in transmitting the sense of samsara, the moment of passing. The bed is where one materializes into a being and it is also where one eventually disappears into void, i.e. born or passed on.
The light rays seems to explicate some endowed enlightenment of a path taken in life; amber dots in turn explicates the fragmented physical and spirituality – for the bed without any figurative form but material objects is indicative of immaterial or intangible state of being.
The installation inevitably conjures spiritual understanding of reincarnation. Perhaps, it raises question as to where we are going to, for we are already here in our existing state of transition
Either lifted from or making tribute to some cinematographic sci-fi show, the presentation is only an idea, a reincarnated idea. It is the state of intense consciousness changing into oblivious non-existence. It is in absolute darkness that actually cannot be visualized; one cannot see or cannot be seen. It is the tangible existence that can only be sensed via sensory perceptions.
Where visitors are themselves parts of the live prop when they view or participate in the installation, Samsara is affirmatively a theatrical reenactment. Samsara rekindles our genuine sense of perception, our perception in time and through space. It touches base with our personality and ego and it reminds of our existence.
The answer to Samsara is self-referential. For the installation, its tone is neither joyful nor sad, its notion neither apocalyptic nor radical, and its imagery neither grotesque nor nostalgic. The answer to samsara is also self-referential: it is already a process of our being, from samsara to nirvana.
Jeremy
Shanghai upon the Sea
January 02, 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment