CIRCULATING
复
7/2021
Yuqing Li李雨晴
Wenjun Zhang张文君
As the economy develops so does the scope and degree of anxiety and mental health issues in society. During this time the things that would help those suffering from these debilitating issues such as interpersonal relationships, understanding of social issues and conflict resolution has become marginalized. Life is constantly in flux even in our modern age, the advancement of technology hasn’t changed this natural law: Every creature alternates between the states of being alive and dead. Though this natural law, our lives are as short as the morning dew, this brevity gives our lives meaning. It is of importance to be persistent in pursuing goals without regret. Art has and forever will have an unparalleled ability to viscerally change an individual, a society and the world. In my philosophical perspective, sadness and happiness will come to an end eventually, and disappearance and death can be another form of existence. During a hard time, I found peace through Taoist thought, so I am deeply committed to offer the audience a way to heal, to consider or refer to.
New technology has provided art with new media, making the artistic forms more abundant and liberal. Therefore, "Circulating" presents an overview of the life and natural laws based on Taoist thought by means of modern technology including animations and interactions.
Circulating Animation
Full version
Circulating Animation
Experimental version
Everything lives and dies in cycles
“I try my best to make the silence of the mind reach the extreme, so that the quietness of life remains unchanged. All things flourish together, and I thus examine the reason for their reciprocity(Lao Tzu).” Reaching the state of emptiness and do not let external objects interfere our minds, we can see the foundation rather than appearance of all things on earth when we observe the operation of their birth and death in this state.
Natural Law
“Like vegetation that luxuriantly grows.But returns to the root (soil) from which it springs.To return to the root is Repose;It is called going back to one's Destiny.Going back to one's Destiny is to find the Eternal Law.” (Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching" Part 1) All things in this world have returned to their origins, so that is the natural law. All things live, perish, and change, namely, the cycle begins again and again.
“致虚极，守静笃，万物并作，吾以观其复”
”“I try my best to make the silence of the mind reach the extreme, so that the quietness of life remains unchanged. All things flourish together, and I thus examine the reason for their reciprocity.”
“"夫物芸芸，各归其根。归根曰静，是谓复命。复命曰常。 "”
”“Like vegetation that luxuriantly grows.But returns to the root (soil) from which it springs.To return to the root is Repose;It is called going back to one's Destiny.Going back to one's Destiny is to find the Eternal Law.”
Hand-painted animation is projected in the center of the installation, while the viewer interacts with the installation, the projection is projected on the linen on both sides, accompanied by an ancient musical instrument: Guqin.
The installation is composed of linen, thread and iron frame
The animation is hand-painted with watercolor
HAND-PAINTED
In junior high school, after having read the books of Lao Tzu and Zhuang Tzu, I once wrote that "the flowers fell and are covered with snow, looking trees full of flowers; the sea dried up and the grass grew, looking like a sea. Whether it is a flower or a sea, it will eventually re-appear and re-disappear as time goes, but the law of circulating always exists." Though childish, it was my attempt to summarize the natural law of life and death.
EFFECT SKETCH
Hand-painted ink and wash animation with Taoist thought as the core, using interactive projection, allowing the viewer to echo with the animation, accompanied by a Guqin beside the installation.