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TelephoneCall 2024
video installation projecting onto vertically hung tracing paper, two mini projectors, tracing paper, video projection: 1 minute and 30 seconds video loop, surround sound
This work, inspired by the artist's childhood experiences, uses a landline phone as a trigger to address the issue of left-behind children in China since the turn of the millennium. Drawing from the mid-audio segment of the documentary Cun Xiao De Hai Zi, directed by Chinese filmmaker Nengjie Jiang, the artist reflects on the experiences of a group of children—born around the same time as the artist—who live separately from their parents. In a poignant moment in the film, a young girl answers the phone but is unable to recognize her mother’s voice, a scene that deeply resonates with the artist’s own memories.
This moment serves as a springboard for the artist’s reflection on how the small, innocent hands of children, picking up the phone, become a tangible bridge between them and parents they can no longer see. In order to evoke a more intimate and emotionally rich experience, the artist meticulously designs the space. Simulated letter paper, crafted from translucent tracing paper, is suspended in various lengths and arranged vertically or in overlapping layers throughout the space. This thoughtful arrangement creates a dynamic environment where viewers can move through the installation, engaging with the projections and becoming immersed in the shifting play of light and shadow. By walking through the space, the audience is invited to experience the delicate tension between presence and absence, connection and separation.
这件作品受到艺术家童年经历的启发，以座机电话为触发点，探讨了自千禧年以来中国留守儿童的问题。艺术家借用中国导演蒋能杰拍摄的纪录片《村小的孩子》中的一段音频，反思了一群与艺术家同龄的留守儿童。在影片中的一个感人时刻，一位小女孩接起电话，却无法认出母亲的声音，这一情节与艺术家的经历引发了深刻共鸣。这成为艺术家反思的起点，艺术家思考孩子们那双小小的、天真的手，捧起电话时，如何成为他们与无法见面的父母之间一条有形的纽带。为了唤起更为细腻且富有情感的体验，艺术家精心设计了作品的空间。模拟信纸由半透明的硫酸纸制成，以不同长度垂直悬挂或交叠排列在空间中。这种精心安排创造了一个动态的环境，观众可以在其中穿行，与投影产生互动，沉浸在光影交错的变化中。通过步入空间，观众被邀请体验存在与缺席、联系与分离之间的微妙张力。