| After I had been engaged in art for ten years in China, I moved from southern China to New York in 2001. I grew up in the Cultural Revolution in the 60s and the 70s, the reforming and opening of the national policy in the 80s, and the commercial economic society in the 90s. My works were profoundly influenced by this kind of social changes, especially by cities that have changed constantly and enormously. It inspired me to create a series of works with installations and performances. In these works, the combination of conception and substance is emphasized, and the body itself turns into a kind of material and visual stimulant. Most of my works happened on the street and unusual space, which echoed the flourishing urban life in contemporary China. Since I immigrated to the United States, I have been undergoing a radical change in my career. |  |
Lin Yi-Lin
After I had been engaged in art for ten years in China, I moved from southern China to New York in 2001. I grew up in the Cultural Revolution in the 60s and the 70s, the reforming and opening of the national policy in the 80s, and the commercial economic society in the 90s. My works were profoundly influenced by this kind of social changes, especially by cities that have changed constantly and enormously. It inspired me to create a series of works with installations and performances.
In these works, the combination of conception and substance is emphasized, and the body itself turns into a kind of material and visual stimulant. Most of my works happened on the street and unusual space, which echoed the flourishing urban life in contemporary China. Since I immigrated to the United States, I have been undergoing a radical change in my career. Confronting another social system and cultural background, my thinking direction is gradually changing and focusing on national politics. By comparison between Chinese and American societies, I found a common thread and an amusing aspect among the great national politics. Their limitation is deeply rooted in slogans such as claiming for justice and patriotic principles. A country’s activities are usually under the flag of justice to have all kinds of absurd actions and competitions, and lately this kind of thinking is reflected in my work.
I was part of Documenta 12. I created a piece which involved an encounter of 32 people from Kassel and 32 people visiting the Documenta in a game of tug of war. What was special about this Game of Monumentality was that both groups were separated by a wall that was 400 by 1200 by 60 centimeters, with the rope running through a hole in the middle. I set the ball rolling by pulling alone against Kassel Nordstadt. After that, the two 32-person teams had three tugs of war before the people of Kassel turned the rope into a skipping rope for a collective skip. The participants and the audience were a mixed crowd: numerous residents of Kassel Nordstadt alongside a large number of Documenta visitors, people from China, as well as members from the Documenta 12 team.
