2017/10/15 Huang Yi-min x Candice Xiaobing Jee (Australia)
Candice Xiaobing Jee, an artist who grew up in Australia, is now studying at National Taiwan University of Arts. She speaks only a little Mandarin, and the primary purpose for a stay in Taiwan is to study Mandarin for a better understanding of her original family in Malaysia. Jee wishes to recollect her memories of the past; thus, she takes artistic creation as her method of putting together her life experiences. Consequently, most of Jee’s works are inspired by her memories of growth; while the process of art-making serves as a seeking of self-history and the reconfirmation of a certain identity. In this project, Jee was invited to get to know Huang Yi-min. Both of the artists pay intense attention to identity and collective consciousness. Huang Yi-min works on large-scale forms, (non-)transparent material and later takes a transition to large installations made of various solid materials. The concept he conveys transforms from the uncertain imagination toward the future to the reflection of social development and the contemporary mode of life. Huang concerns the positioning issue of social collectives; while Jee constantly examines her role through art-making, which makes an interesting
contrast.
Seeking for Identity when Making Art and Studying Abroad
Candice Jee：
When I was studying in Germany, I used to pick up the discarded wood near my school. And I mainly work with sculpture materials. During the period when I was collecting waste wood, I received emails from my mother. She sent me a poem titled “Inspiration.” What interested me was that, according to my mother, she composed the poem in a state where she obtains solitary while feeling solitude. (The original word she used was “solitarity,” combining “solidarity” and “solitude.”) In the poem, its verse includes “‘If I am to live, loveless and feelingless, I would rather be a piece of wood, Without root that rots naturally.” The poem reminds me of how my parents said goodbye to Malaysia and came to the strange land Australia, and how I left Australia to study and live in Europe for such a long time. Thus, I decided to engrave this poem on the wood I collected.
In term of the form of my work, I followed the principle, which was “the fastest way to build up a campfire.” Such an arrangement comes from my experience of building campfires in Australia. Through this arrangement, I convey the alterability of the sculpture that can be assembled and disassembled.
Transplantation and Migration
Candice Jee：
I had a solo exhibition at the Haitong Art Center in Taipei this year. I wanted to create a Chinese garden as a projection of the sense of belonging and identity I have in Taipei. I set the gallery as a labyrinth garden, allowing the audience to walk freely through the exhibition hall.
The title of this exhibition, “Many Flowers Have Foreign Names,” comes from a part of my family history. One of my ancestors was a general in the Song Dynasty who lived alone in Guangzhou because of exile. And one day I happened to find a Guangdong Garden collection of poetry. In the book, I found a poem composed by a general called “Yu Jing.” One line of the poem was “Stones obtain a group of stars, All the flowers have foreign names.” Such connection inspired me that perhaps I just encountered a man who could be my ancestor when I was seeking for my origin. He might have a period of drifting life from place to place; however, at this moment, he enjoyed the Western garden and composed a poem for the garden.
Huang Yi-min：
When I was in primary school, we have gone through the abolishment of martial law. I knew that an era has passed and we have to depart from that era. However, people don’t know anything about the new era, and no one can ever imagine what it will be. I used to adopt a dog when I was in school, and I used the image of that dog to express my self-identity. The blurry images caused by the constant movement were like the process of seeking my identity. I tried to express myself; however, I didn’t know what to show. The inward self-searching extended to my next large-scaled installation work. With a balloon dog made of transparent material, I tried to demonstrate the fact that even if I can reach specific limitation, the inside part of myself is still empty. I felt that I own a free spirit. A free spirit seemed to enjoy the vast territory and could extend as far as possible. However, it was empty inside me since the lack of self-identification.
Then, I took the concept of a balloon dog and replaced the transparent material with canvas with blue and white stripes. As a “temporary” covering during construction, the blue and white canvas symbolized the instability of the object, which may be constructed and destroyed at any time. The blue and white canvas balloon dog equipped an air supply device, which inflated the installation when people walk by.
