織綜如生 —播‧種
The Interweaving of You and I - Sowing
Living Installation
Dimension variable
2023
As part of 'Women at the End of the World'- Art Basel HK 2023 Parallel Exhibition at the Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University
March 8 - April 2, 2023
The interweaving of You and I – Sowing extends from The interweaving of You and I (2021), a durational happening and living installation over five weeks representing the interconnectedness and inter-influence between man and nature through planting action. Planting is one of the daily human activities that seem simple, but it also requires much effort in observation in order to give adequate care. Caring encourages us to ponder our relationship with other natural creations and grow hope to make a change. Sunflower is chosen specifically for the project with the meaning of hope and healing and its scientific value. In environmental remediation technology called phytoremediation, scientists found that its growing process carries metal and toxin detoxification, notably used in Chernobyl and Fukushima.
This version emphasises sowing, a stage of putting seeds into the soil so the plants will grow. During the exhibition, audiences are invited to take a sunflower seed back home and plant it whenever they like. It seems simple, but seeds will only grow if you, as a planter, act on the first step. Man and plants share essential resources like water, sunlight, and air. As a planter, man has built such an interdependent relationship with plants. If plants get adequate care, they grow great. Meanwhile, planters find comfort in spending time with plants, sowing, watering, talking or even bringing them out for sunlight. The planting action is invested with a sense of delight and healing to planters.
《織綜如生 —播‧種》（2023） 延伸自《織綜如生》（2021），一個為期五週的偶發行為和植物生長裝置作品，呈現了人與自然之間密不可分的相連性。 以栽種作為日常生活的一部分，看似簡單的照顧，卻需要我們對植物的生長進行詳細的觀察，以便給予足夠的護理。 對植物的照顧，是鼓勵我們作為人類重新思考與其他自然物種之間的關係，亦期望於過程中栽種出作出改變的希望。
藝術家特意挑選具有希望和療癒象徵意義及科學價值的——向日葵種子；並透過 「播種」階段的展示，強調出將一顆種子放入土壤開始栽種的這一行為。 在展覽期間，藝術家歡迎觀眾帶走向日葵種子回家栽種。 栽種這顆向日葵種子似乎很簡單，卻取決於只有當你踏出第一步成為栽種者的時候，種子才會生長。 人類作為栽種者，與植物之間密不可分的關係，不僅僅是植物的生長狀態依賴著栽種者的照料有多無微不至；對栽種者而言，每日重複的澆灌、修剪、與植物對話、甚至帶植物外出接觸陽光， 某程度上人類的情感亦通過栽種的過程從而得到寄託或投射。人類與植物的「共生」除了共享水、陽光、空氣之外，還有這種以行為、生長和情感治癒為關係，互相依存的「共生」形態。
Special thanks to Christina Tam, Man Hin Siu, Kaman Lam