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Critical Reflection

Rethinking the Exhibition Format: Creating an Open and Multi-interpretable Space

After the Copland show, I started looking for the exhibition format for Unit3. I gradually realized that my works were too dependent on personal emotional expression, which to some extent limited the interaction and resonance between the audience and the works. When reflecting on the form of the exhibition works, I began to think about how to break this single perception mode and make the meaning of the works transcend self-expression and become more universal and open.

Relational Aesthetics Nicolas Bourriaud, October 2022, English
10.5×17.5 cm, 144 pages, softcover
ISBN 978-3-95679-586-2

Relational Aesthetics: A set of artistic practices which take as their theoretical and practical point of departure the whole of human relations and their social context, rather than an independent and private space.

"the role of artworks is no longer to form imaginary and utopian realities, but to actually be ways of living and models of action within the existing real, whatever scale chosen by the artist.”

According to Nicolas Bourriaud's theory of Relational Aesthetics, art should not be just a closed object that is unilaterally given meaning by the artist, but should become an interactive platform that provides a space for "community experience". In this framework, artistic creation should focus on the experience and participation of the audience, and construct multiple interpretations of meaning through interaction and communication, rather than simply conveying the artist's personal emotions. Bourriaud advocates that "the meaning of a work of art lies in the relationship it creates rather than its form itself."

In my exhibition, although I try to guide the audience's emotional experience through visual levels, this guidance may still be limited to my personal narrative framework and lack of openness. The audience can only passively follow my emotional clues and cannot really participate in the construction of the work. Therefore, I need to rethink the form of the exhibition and make the work a multi-level, multi-entry "interactive space" in which the audience can freely explore, interpret and give new meaning.
I began to try to turn the display of sculpture installations into a scene. By redesigning the exhibition layout and adding sound installations, introducing elements of audience interaction, I can create a more open and participatory environment, encouraging the audience to participate in the process of art creation with their own experience, memory and emotion. I prepared my business card and guidebook. The audience can read and understand my story. In this way, the meaning of the work is no longer limited to my personal narrative but becomes a collection of dynamic interactions between the audience and the work, and between the audience, so as to truly realize the publicity and diversity of art.As Nicolas Bourriaud said, Rather than the artwork being an encounter between a viewer and an object, relational art produces encounters between people.

Art as a Bridge Between Personal Memory and Collective Emotion

On the first day of the exhibition, I observed that many visitors shed tears when listening to the audio work I exhibited (what my mother said to my grandfather). This reaction surprised and touched me deeply. Obviously, this audio brought back memories of their deceased relatives and triggered emotional resonance. When communicating with the audience, I found that this emotion transcended cultural background. Before, I was constantly worried that audiences from different cultural backgrounds would not be able to understand the Chinese cremation custom. How to make them understand the connection between fire and death was my first difficulty. But this reaction made me start to think about how art can establish a connection between personal memory and collective emotions.

According to Susan Sontag, art is not only a form of expression, it is also a "container of emotions" that can carry and evoke people's deepest emotions and memories. This emotional resonance is often formed through the "emotional contract" between the work and the audience. When the audience finds elements in the work that are similar to their own experience or emotions, they will have a deep emotional response and even re-experience past memories. In my work, my mother's narration of my grandfather carries sincere emotions of family affection and nostalgia, which is universal and common even among audiences with different cultural or personal backgrounds.

Susan Sontag

I realized that this resonance is the key to art transcending individual expression and entering collective emotions. In my work, the audio recordings are not abstract sounds, but real, intimate conversations between family members. This real emotion is conveyed to the audience, which in turn triggers their memories and emotions about the departure of their loved ones. This allows the audience to participate in the narrative of the work through their own memories and emotional experiences.
This reflection made me realize that in future creations, I can continue to use the power of this "emotional contract" to build a deeper interaction and resonance between the audience and the work through more universal and open emotional expressions.

The Role of Sound in the Exhibition

In addition, sound plays an important role as an emotional trigger in the exhibition. I used the sound of burning as the background sound in the exhibition through a loudspeaker, and the audience had to wear headphones to listen to the mother's words. As an invisible but intimate and resonant medium, sound not only conveys the content of the language, but also conveys the warmth and depth of emotion. It can transcend visual boundaries and directly enter people's hearts, evoking the audience's resonance with their own experiences and memories. Its intangibility and intimacy make the exhibition space more inclusive and open, allowing every audience to enter the work in their own way, forming a collective and shared emotional experience.

Roland Gérard Barthes

Roland Barthes wrote in his essay "The Grain of the Voice":
"The 'grain' is the body in the voice as it sings, the hand as it writes, the limb as it performs."
Barthes believes that voice is not just a tool for conveying language information, it carries the emotions, physical traces and memories of the speaker or singer. It is these "grains" that give the voice depth of emotion so that the listener is not just listening to language, but feeling an emotional and physical presence. These subtle sound elements will resonate in the listener's heart and bring a unique emotional response. The audience perceives my story through the sound, and in the process finds the overlap with their own experience. This "resonance" is a deep emotional interaction,

In this combination, sound can guide the audience's attention and emotions, allowing them to not only "watch" the work, but "experience" it. For example, when showing themes about death and life, sound can trigger deep resonance in the audience, stimulating their perception and reflection of their own emotions. This multi-sensory resonance not only makes the work more shocking, but also deepens the effect of art therapy, because the audience can express, accept and release emotions more freely through the comprehensive experience of vision and hearing.

The Use of Color: From "Deep Sea" to the Healing Effect of Works of Art

I was impressed by the strong use of colors in the movie "Deep Sea", especially the use of colors to express the emotional experience and inner changes of the characters. In the film, the blue of the deep sea, the mysterious purple, and the interspersed red and orange form a very tense contrast, allowing the audience to feel the loneliness, struggle and hope in the characters' hearts. The depth of blue, the mystery of purple and the emotional intensity of red create a strong emotional atmosphere in the interweaving of colors, as if the audience and the protagonist are exploring the unknown world of the ocean and the depths of their own hearts.

Deep Sea, Movie, Promotional release poster, 2023 (1-4)

The 19th century French painter Eugène Delacroix and modern color theorist Josef Albers have emphasized the interaction between colors and their role in conveying emotions. In his book Interaction of Color, Albers mentioned that color is not just a visual element, but an interactive medium, and the combination of different colors can evoke a variety of emotions and sensory experiences.

In my work, I draw on this color expression technique and use contrasting colors to convey the depth of emotion. For example, I use cool colors such as blue and purple at the beginning of the video to create a meditative and quiet atmosphere, allowing the audience to feel the exploration and thinking of death. At the same time, warm colors such as red and orange can be used to express the warmth of family affection and the continuation of life, conveying this power of emotion and memory to the audience. The use of this color can not only enrich the level of the work, but also touch the audience's emotions at a deeper level, creating an atmosphere that is both quiet and contemplative and can bring emotional impact.
By drawing on the use of color in "Deep Sea", I hope to form a contrast and fusion of emotions in my work, so that the audience can visually experience the fluctuation and resonance of emotions, and make color an effective medium to express the theme of death and life, thereby further deepening the effect of art therapy.

Seeking Reconciliation between Life and Death in Commemoration

In Siddhartha, the protagonist experienced material enjoyment, emotional pain, and spiritual exploration, and finally found inner peace and enlightenment in the flow of life. Siddhartha realized that the suffering and death of life are not to be escaped or eliminated, but to be faced with an attitude of acceptance and awareness, and to find inner peace and liberation in the process. He understood the fluidity of all things and the harmony between the individual and the whole, and no longer resisted the ups and downs and end of life. This attitude towards death coincides with my original intention of creation.

In my creation, I commemorate my grandfather who passed away, trying to convey to the audience a way of searching and accepting. Similar to Siddhartha's spiritual journey, my work does not just express the pain of death, but uses death as a bridge to the essence of life. In the process of commemorating my grandfather, I found that although my relatives have passed away, his love, teachings, and memories still remain in my heart, and even give me strength in the process of creation. Just as Siddhartha found a symbol of peace and eternity by the river, commemoration also made me realize that death is not the real end, but another form of continuation.

This understanding makes me hope that the work can convey a healing power and provide the audience with the possibility of accepting death. Through art, I try to let the audience feel a flow of emotions and relief while watching. The elements of commemorating grandpa in the work not only represent personal recollections, but also guide the audience to reflect on their relationship with their loved ones, so as to find an inner balance. Through my work, I use commemoration as a way to communicate with grandpa. Death will not separate us, he can still accompany me in another form. I hope that the audience can feel that although death brings loss and pain, we can choose to accept it with a peaceful mind, transform these emotions through commemoration and understanding, and turn pain into warmth and love in memory.

References​

  1. Bourriaud, N. (2002). *Relational Aesthetics*. Dijon: Les Presses du réel.

  2. Tate. (n.d.). Relational Aesthetics. [online] Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/r/relational-aesthetics [Accessed 28 Oct. 2024].

  3. Sontag, S. (2004). *Regarding the Pain of Others*. New York: Picador.

  4. Barthes, R. (1977). The Grain of the Voice. In: Image-Music-Text. New York: Hill and Wang, pp. 179-189

  5. Albers, J. (1963). Interaction of Color. New Haven: Yale University Press.

  6. ​Hesse, H. (2009). Siddhartha. Beijing: People's Literature Publishing House.

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