Mushroom Forest
Artist: Mingyue Chen
Medium: An installation made of second-hand items from flea markets and streets, ropes, LEDs, glass, clay from Amazon, and bottles I recycled daily
Date: 2022.12
The ideas for this installation began with my previous project, Chinese Pronouns. They/them pronoun is not common in Chinese. In addition, Chinese characters related to women are often stigmatized. When I was learning German, which has three genders, I learned to associate everyday things with a specific gender. Neutral genders have long been neglected in Chinese culture and society. On the other hand, neutral gender in German aligns perfectly with my previous concept. After I collected objects in Berlin, I deconstructed and transformed them based on gender. As I gathered more materials, I began to explore and create a fantasy worldview based on the realities of the male gaze and my identity. In addition, I used other art techniques, such as sewing and painting, to create installations.
春回大地。
在蘑菇森林的色轮下，
学步的孩童拿着玩具和汽水
与它的双重灵魂跳舞。
啊，看，
时钟永远不会停止，
父亲的睡眼从未合上。
她的伤痛和泪
是我温柔的故乡。
万物，永远长眠于此。
Spring awakens all nature.
Under the color wheel in the mushroom forest,
A toddler holds toys and soft drinks
dancing with its double souls.
Ah, see,
the clock never stops,
and a father’s sleepy eyes never close.
Her pain and tears are my tender homeland.
All of life rests here forever.
Ultimately, I want to inspire care and courage among those who see this project.
Project
Presented in Die Ausstellung Exhibition at NYU Berlin
