白日摸瞎 / Shooting in the Dark, Performance/ Film, Lanzhou & Hanchuan, China, 2020
In Dongfanghong Square, the central plaza of Lanzhou, I walked and groped blindly for hours, from sunset into night, with a flowerpot over my head to block my sight. I moved through a man-made darkness, feeling my way forward - trying to recognize direction, and to understand a world shrouded by the epidemic.
The name Dongfanghong means “The East Is Red,” echoing the famous song from the 1960s that praised Chairman Mao, comparing him to the red sun worshipped by the nation. In the 1990s, the square was surrounded by warm-colored flowers and decorated with images of Dunhuang Apsaras; people used to visit and take photos there as souvenirs. Today, all those ornaments are gone — the new atmosphere feels cold and austere. People pass quickly, no longer lingering.
The performance began at a time when people showed up from all directions - workers leaving their offices, families taking evening walks, and people exercising. The site stands next to the Provincial Public Security Bureau. I saw several men in police uniform on duty near the rostrum, which made me anxious before starting, as I was prepared to be stopped by the police at any moment.
The name Dongfanghong means “The East Is Red,” echoing the famous song from the 1960s that praised Chairman Mao, comparing him to the red sun worshipped by the nation. In the 1990s, the square was surrounded by warm-colored flowers and decorated with images of Dunhuang Apsaras; people used to visit and take photos there as souvenirs. Today, all those ornaments are gone — the new atmosphere feels cold and austere. People pass quickly, no longer lingering.
The performance began at a time when people showed up from all directions - workers leaving their offices, families taking evening walks, and people exercising. The site stands next to the Provincial Public Security Bureau. I saw several men in police uniform on duty near the rostrum, which made me anxious before starting, as I was prepared to be stopped by the police at any moment.
(Jing at Hanchuan, Hubei, China)
“白日摸瞎” alludes to a situation where people deliberately refuse to see the obvious in front of them and pretend to work hard to solve problems that are not there but appear to be problems inexplicably. People spend energy doing something that they know won’t work. It points to a feeling of confusion and anxiety, when one is heading for an uncertain future.
This is a collaborated work of Hijack打劫, commissioned by HOP Projects.