At The Time When (2024)
Between Faces, Stories and Power (2023)
flo-o-o (2023)
The State of Being Vanished (2021)
dok dat dap dap (2021)
I am not a robot (2020–2021)
The Rise of Modern China (2018)
Affirmative Resonance (2018)
‘Parts’ of China (2017)
Transliterations (2017)
Ximplification of a Language (2016)
A Living Space: Houses (2014–15)
Breathe (2012)
Circle (2011)
↓
‘Ximplification’ of a language
2016, Sound Installation
The work reanimates the loss of a language in the context of the construction of a national language, which simultaneously implies an state intervention on the language.
In 1956, China's State Council simplified 2,235 Chinese characters, marking a significant shift in written language. While mainland China embraced this reform, Hong Kong and Taiwan maintained the traditional script, creating a lasting cultural divide.
The work examines a set of simplified Chinese characters where certain elements were replaced by crosses—universal marks of negation.
Through visual subtraction between traditional and simplified versions, new fragmented forms emerge. These broken strokes are 'audialized' through a music box mechanism. The fragments serve as a unique notation system, with each broken character transformed into punch-holes on the music box cylinder. The resulting melody embodies linguistic loss, creating an auditory archive of eliminated strokes and elements.
Sound installation, loop
Exhibition views: Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten, Den Haag, in The Netherlands.
