Walter Benjamin once used this philosophical term to describe a phenomenon that the waning of the aesthetic tradition is perceivable in only retrospect in modernity.
I named my long-term personal documentary project after this to express my pursuit to eliminate the restrictions of time and media in art.
Built in 1537, this Hall of Mental Cultivation (Yangxin Dian) inside the Forbidden City was not only the most important private space for the Qing rulers, but also an epitome of Chinese monarchy. It witnessed the death of the First Emperor Shunzhi, the abdication of the Last Emperor Puyi, along with the demise of the Dynasty.
Four hundred and eighty years later, the Hall is now secretly undergoing its biggest restoration ever in history. At the end, the smell of rot and dust would be replaced by fresher air. Marks left by my ancestors would also be erased. The inside renovation has then been kept hidden for the public and the press. I was honored to document and illustrate this process of irreversible decay.
Digital Photography, 2017
Dimension Variable
Ink jet print, 2017
14" × 14"
Video, 2016
36 seconds
"It was supposed to segregate people in the old city and from the new city and freeze time, but ...."
Calligraphy Experiment
Oil and ink on rice paper, 2015
11" × 14"