2024. Art House, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, Hong Kong.
Mirror version of drawings
Listening back, in this context, is not to distinguish each sonic sign, but to guide us toward perceiving what we cannot hear. The four incense trees depicted in the drawings each inhabit different living statuses. One of the incense trees was felled, yet new branches continue to emerge from its remaining trunk. Two others, while yet unharmed by humans, are firmly surrounded by iron meshes to prevent poaching, but fresh shoots extend outward through the gaps of the mesh. Whether in resistance to thunderstorms, adaptation to the human-generated noise, or renewal after being hurt or imprisoned, it’s difficult to hear or record these sounds. Through the drawings, together with the soundscape recordings, this artwork invites the audience to sense how these incense trees establish relationships with their surroundings, and imagine their subtle but resilient responses.
For visitors in mainland China who cannot access the video, please use this link: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1ZyonBwEyk/