Artist statement:
We were inspired by a recent art exhibition in Japan called “Don’t Follow The Wind”, held within the exclusion zone affected by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. The artists involved in the project transformed abandoned homes and buildings into their personal art spaces. This prompted us to think about the state of homes after citizens fled the area, and the stories that their personal belongings can tell. By creating a space filled with inanimate objects and furniture, we hope to invite viewers to think about the people who could have lived here. Their real identities are never revealed, encouraging individuals to come up with their own interpretations. We also hope to generate discussion about the after effects of the disaster five years on.
Reflection:
When Ruyi first mentioned the prospect of working on an installation during our final project, I felt slightly intimidated. Conceiving an art installation has always intrigued me, but it’s also really intimidating and totally uncharted territory for me. I’m really glad I decided to work with Yiwen and Wilson, because we ended up working really well together and got even closer. We each took initiative to help out here and there, and our roles crossed over a lot because we were helping each other wherever we could. We were also on the same page when it came to ideas, and we were clear with our aims for this project, so misunderstandings were minimised. Overall, I’m really proud of our final installation despite the slight hiccups here and there like lack of resources or last minute booking of projectors. I wouldn’t mind expanding on TRACES in the future when time permits.