Immersive Installation, 5.1 Surround Sound, 8 min 49 sec, 2024
Exhibition Hours: Dec 4, 2024, 2-6pm
New York, U.S.A.
What does it mean to feel connected? Is there really a connection if you can see someone but not touch them? And when you *can* touch them, what kind of feeling would that be?
Driven by a desire to explore the idea of “presence”, I started the project very conceptually – to design an experiential space where the audience could wander freely without instructions, and to solve some of my puzzles about long-distance relationships.
It took me a long time to ground those abstract fragments into something tangible. I sought out materials, textures, sounds, and temperatures that gave me a sense of assurance, yet they are all things that are hard to describe or explain in words. The process of searching felt like wandering too, a lot of tapping, holding, looking around, and in the end, combining the collected elements solely based on my instinct.
I still haven’t held onto some clear answers after the exhibition, but a lot of stories emerged from the presence of the audience. I’m so glad this piece could evoke some vanishing memories and feelings from the hearts. An audience told me, “I feel safe,” and I did, too.
Credits
Director, Photography, Sound / Haoru Liu
Tech Support / Haruumi Nishida & Avery Fisher Center staff
Lighting Design / Abigail Chien
Copper Shaping Support / Emily Hu
Film Scans / Ting Su
Found Stones / Hazel Yan
Documentation / Carly Lin