‘Appearances of a cultural jet lag’, 2023 version
Mixed-media installations, at Club Solo, Breda
I first made and exhibited this work in 2022 in an abandoned attic space at Witte Rook. You can read the full description through the link (click).
In its second presentation, I added elements connected to mourning and ritual, including white candles, belt and paper flowers traditionally worn by women during funerals in Chinese culture.
Spreek Netherlands met mij
(Speek Netherlands with me), 2023
Performance, duration 45 minutes, at the bar of Club Solo
I worked part-time for a Dutch art space for several years as the only person who could not speak Dutch. During this exhibition opening in Breda, I worked as a bartender while most visitors spoke to me in Dutch automatically. At first, I could barely understand what people were asking for.
By the end of the evening, I was already able to handle the job almost entirely through repetition, gestures, and routine, while still barely understanding the language itself. Coming from a place without a strong coffee culture, I did not even know what a cappuccino was when I first arrived in the Netherlands.
Video record still, 00:45:00, sound