RUOYI SHI, 2021
www.shiruoyi.com

During my time at Residency 108, I became a wandering spirit on the land. All the experiences and memories are the origins of my myth. I made a few videos and installations on the farm, including a horror film trailer, an instruction on how to avoid getting lost in the field, and a class recording. Videos were used as a diary to document my time and adventure. I chased and collected the evidence of my character’s temporary existence, hoping to gather the stories and tales as pieces of my ongoing narrative.

 After witnessing the two pigs on the farm breaking through the fences and being caught by the neighbors, I was deeply drawn to their free spirit and reckless nature and decided to write a letter, encouraging them to escape human control. I made compasses out of the kitchen wares, performing a compass-making tutorial in front of these animals, trying to help them navigate in their next desertion. I wasn’t expecting or waiting for them to respond — it was a continuing experiment for myself to study the boundary between man and nature, restrictions and wilderness. With my character’s never-ending failures and attempts, the mission is to seek a way to cross that boundary and communicate from both sides. It is a self-reflective process, as I am not only the authority who is educating and spreading the information but also the one who receives the knowledge and is forced to listen.