In this audio-visual installation, I created a surreal space where a water lantern floats in a sea made of light. This sea is made possible by the utilisation of 3 laser machines & a smoke machine. The highly concentrated light source of the laser can cut through the smoke to reveal a pattern that is akin to water and reacts to airflow or movement through the light. This combined with the “floating” lanterns, symbolises the water lantern festival, a festival held in Asia where people come together, write or pray a message to the lantern, to collectively send the lanterns off on water, letting them drift away into the afterlife, so their loved ones who have passed away are able to receive them.
The lantern is, in a sense, delivering a message to the audience who are listening to a story delivered from the lantern itselves, giving context to what pain they went through to live a more prosperous life. The audience can traverse part of the installation and play with the water surface, the narration will be done in Cantonese & subtitles will be projected on the back of the lanterns along with a visual to further add context and immersion to the installation. The message is about generational trauma, these start out as unresolved traumas with countless causes such as war, mental disorders, abuse and many more, travelling through the generations and often laying out the foundation of norms and values for a family or even culture.
This is a urgent topic as people will keep migrating to a country with a completely different culture, which in turn increases the severity of the trauma for their descendants, as they grow up with multiple cultures, identities and pressures of choosing between these priorities. Thus, the need for awareness for it and support is necessary to break this vicious cycle. The term generational trauma was uncommon especially in countries like China where communicating your emotions is uncommon, with social media and more ways to connect to each other than ever, we may be able to finally discuss these problems openly with each other. I feel that the consequence of migration may be a “necessary evil”, to grow as a person, to break the cycle and hope it this installation is able to make people aware of the consequenes generational trauma.
