Wachsen


                   

2019-2020
Video 5'38''




  I was born in central China in the 1990s. My grandfather and grandmother worked in a state-owned enterprise. The state-owned enterprises of the planned economy represent a typical company. Their design model essentially „clones“ the planning and organisation of industrial companies in the former Soviet Union.   Factory, residential area and staff hospitals, canteens, schools and kindergartens are linked together. As an independent region, we collectively refer to this „region“ as a „state-owned enterprise compound“. At that time, the income and welfare of employees in state-owned enterprises were generally better than in other enterprises. almost everyone lived in the same residential area where I grew up.

When I was 10, my family moved to another city. I rarely returned after that. However, I often remembered that I spent a simple and wonderful childhood there. From 1990s, State-owned enterprise must face the challenge from economic reform and cumulative deficit, which leads to massive layoffs. Some people had to find a new job, so they left this area. This led to the decline of my hometown. Since the 20th century, the economic development of this place has gradually declined.

Over time, many elderly people who were my former neighbours passed away. Many of my „playgrounds“ were not maintained andbgradually lost their original functionality and fell into disrepair.  The people who lived there didn‘t pay any attention to them and they became indifferent. Over time, for some people, the existence of former residential arear became almost irrelevant to some people. I became a stranger. I saw the faces of the people around me very familiar, but I can‘t remember who they are.
The theme was to memorize my childhood as I started.  Sad as I am for the fading beauty the People there are getting used to it. I am glad to record it in my video so to remain it forever.

The film is developed basing on THE LIGHT, which grows, flashes, flows, and transforms. It was from surface of a lake. I chose that light because that place is light of me.

The figure is one who shows up, indicating mental feelings.

The light flows on face, consistent of 3 stands: eyes closed, eyes
open, hand grasping.
Eyes closed: old memorys in mind, the beauty recorded in photos.
Eyes open: observation when back
Hand grasping: trying to grasp that light but in vain.

Trees as element appears several times as they have special meaning. Because they are ALWAYS there, man fades, the man made fades, but trees stand, grow and witness all. So I chose trees as special carrier, hoping they can bind the past.