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.