all things come into being by conflict of opposites
2024 / mixed-media, analog clockwork mechanisms, paper / diameter 600mm
This kinetic artwork features six rotating planes driven by two turntables on opposite directions and four analog clockwork mechanisms, each adorned with paper cutouts created from found printed materials. The rotating planes present a range of imagery, from film stills of Chinese period movies to contemporary newspaper clippings, capturing the evolving and often-conflicting nature of culture and social norms over time.
One plane, in particular, features the juxtaposition of English subtitles over Chinese films, reflecting a common yet overlooked cultural intersection in Southeast Asia. This visual detail highlights the blending of languages and identities that permeates the region, underscoring how cultural overlaps are often absorbed into everyday life without much notice.
Through the constant movement of the rotating planes, the artwork emphasizes that there is no single, fixed narrative or perspective—whether in culture or in life. The ever-shifting images mirror the fluidity of culture, where traditions, media, and norms are always in a state of flux, reinterpreted and reshaped by the passage of time. The rhythmic ticking of the clockwork mechanisms reinforces this theme of perpetual motion and change, suggesting that our understanding of the world is never static, but always evolving.
First exhibited at 《折摄》 "a light flashes, and a box drops from the sky" by Supper House, at Ann Siang House, 2024.