as everything gets more convenient and universal, it's easy to forget about what our ancestors had to endure when the world was a different place.
what did they sacrifice and what can we learn from their sacrifice?
the world that we live in has largely been made possible by the migrants that were doing the hard labour.
to honour my ancestors and the chinese culture that came here, i created an artifact that collects and passes on knowledge from immigrants by starting the conversation myself , to enlighten and to honour their hard work.
part 1 ; "mom - willingness"
part 2 ; "ying - to adapt the unknown"
part 3 ; "hoi-yan - culture clashes"
the lantern based on a floating water lantern,
famous for the water lantern festivals all over china.
it's tradition to leave a message on the lantern before letting it float away on the water, however, in this case, because of these individuals, the lantern speaks to you rather than the other way around. it is able to speak and share pieces of knowledge, wisdom & culture.
no faces were shown, that way all the individuals have remained open and honest. instead i've filmed their environment, what do they take with them? how does their "home" look? what did they bring with them to fill the void that was now missing?
the lantern plays an important part, it is the embodiment of immigration for me, the fragile body, and yet it still gives off a soothing light that tries to give you hope, it has been recording all of these conversations and i've created an archive for others to listen to in the exhibition i've organized.
all of these voices are made possible by the sacrifice and openness of these individuals.
what did they sacrifice in order for us to be accepted in a foreign country? to be able to live comfortably?
and to be able to chase whatever dream you may have?
i think that this is very important, that we can store or save these pieces of knowledge and pass them on.
above you will see the a film about the exhibition and presentation.
