-- Slade MA Show (6.14)

--CSM degree show (6.15)

--Somerset House Lates-workshop & drawing club (6.19)

--RCA degree show (6.23)

--Bluets Royal Court (6.28)

--Turner Tate Briatin (7.7)

--Yoko Ono Tate Modern(7.10)

--RA Summer Exhibitation (7.13)

--AL HELD white cube(7.14)

--The Wallace Collection (7.16)

--Madam Butterfly Royal Opera House(7.18)

--Sing to deers -richmond park (7.22)

--Saatchi Gallery (7.24)

--Sir John Soane’s Museum(7.26)

--Michelangelo British Museum(7.26)

--Venice Biennale (8.4)

--Peggy Guggenheim clooection-Jean Cocteau (8.5)

--Shenzhen Museum(8.20)

--Zhejiang Museum (8.29)

--BY ART MATTERS-Moments are monuments(9.3)

--YIWU YIWU(9.26)

--Tate Britain-Turner Prize(10.11)

--Tate Modern- Kandinsky (10.12)

--Goya-San Fernando Fine Art Royal Academy(10.31)

--Prado Museum(11.1)

The content on the left represents some events that have inspired or triggered me since Unit 3. I would like to call them "triggers" of human experience, arranged chronologically. When I reflect on these events, I notice that the first thing that comes to mind is the interaction between people, their thoughts, or the associations these experiences bring to me about the two. This is very different from how we would approach the titles from a rational perspective. Even with divine or abstract subjects, the transient experience behind human involvement serves as a conduit for connection. I had a strong realization: all material or spiritual inspiration comes from a connection with another person, even with the connection to a unified whole. When we reach a certain state, we can endlessly extract and create; perhaps this state is emptiness.

At the Lates event at Somerset House, we designed patterns based on our understanding of the workshop theme, and then another artist painted on us. This embodied the concept—creating a space where we, the curators, artists, and participants, all co-created together. The life drawing aspect captured each person's unique perspective, allowing others to see "what I see." These events required only the simplest materials but easily created a powerful connection among everyone present, sparking something greater. This experience was a significant inspiration for my "pencil tip" experiment.

In the exhibition of Yoko Ono, many profound works made me pause, but the one that held me the longest was Bed Peace(1969). The act itself is not visible to the naked eye, yet it is precisely because of the involvement of the media and the exhibition documentation that we are able to witness its existence. Shelter works in a similar way—a thought and action open up space for more thoughts and actions to linger. Through the presence of "I," we see "them," and through their presence, we see "I." This mutual intermingling is inseparable.

Art itself carries messages far beyond language, and the Venice Biennale is like a two-yearly constellation of stars, where massive inspiration collides. I have attended every Biennale since 2019, like a pilgrimage, where each time I leave my preconceived notions behind and approach with humility and purity, absorbing everything around me as though I am reentering this world to experience human civilization anew.

I needed subtitles to understand the Italian lyrics, yet the opera Madama Butterfly moved me to tears. It did not occur in my time or my cultural background, yet it evokes that pure, shared emotion between people—or perhaps it is the greater "understanding" and "compassion" behind that emotion. Interestingly, at the same time, a print series I created on the theme of butterflies was selected for the provincial biennale and published in a catalog.

Whether visiting a kind elderly lady or a respected artist and translator, I felt the immense connection behind external titles. Each of them had a world full of wonder, and at certain moments, when they looked at me, they also saw themselves. To me, humans have never been isolated individuals, nor are they distinguishable from one another. We constantly remind ourselves that we are not fully connected, but this is the barrier created by rational thought. It is precisely this that maintains boundaries between people.

Goya is not from the past, Goya is from today. He is the reflection of the imbalance in humanity. The absurdities are not only Goya's truth, it is that all of us. His virtuality is not what mattered most to him, but the responsibiliy he had with humanity. It is through the embodiment of these virtual concepts that we are better able to glimpse the different forms of their existence beyond the print works.

When I understood that "emptiness" in philosophy is not non-existence but the vessel of existence, I realized that humans seem to be the conduit for bringing this existence into the three-dimensional world. Through a series of connections with others, I boldly speculate that the essence of humanity is emptiness. From a scientific perspective: we can pass through tons of dark matter; from a mental perspective: our consciousness and memory flow freely, and if the mind is filled with too many thoughts, it becomes as exhausting as carrying heavy objects. Therefore, all thoughts are external additions, and our essence is like a vessel without barriers—light and embracing.

Somerset House Lates event

Research Festival Essay - A Drop of the Unknown: Creating Emptiness in Printmaking

I want to know the origin of the world.

I once longed to describe it, imagine it, and even define it with clear language and words. It wasn't until I emptied all definitions, shedding the shell of self-consciousness that constantly questioned meaning, that I began to faintly sense their existence in a space of emptiness, silence, and impermanence. It was then that I wished to pursue this invisible existence, exploring emptiness through the materiality and subjectivity in printmaking through experimental transformations.

I wish to document these experiments and findings, following the inquiries made in my essay. The 'personal subject,' the 'other subject,' and the 'non-human subject' (Sci-Art and AI) will be the three directions of my experiment, some of which are mentioned in the documentation and critical reflection. Parts not mentioned on the website are what I hope to extend and discuss in the Research Festival essay, and I will provide a brief introduction to these ideas here. Both Eastern and Western philosophies, as well as quantum science, have proposed that the essence of the world is empty; it is not a subjective creation of humans. And the idea of "creating emptiness" itself is a highly subjective concept—this is something I wish to emphasize in my essay, and there is also an unavoidable element — human existence.

In my view, "Individuals, others, nobody, and everybody"—these subjects that seem distinct in experiments of subjectivity—can, in fact, all exist within the same person. The linguistic distinctions constrain our thoughts within defined concepts, which made me realize the limitations of these experiments. A person is, in essence, a whole, much like the universe, which manifests countless variations. The perfect state of an individual is one in which no other individual is excluded because that person's entirety is the same whole. If we could fully understand the vastness or subtlety that makes up who we are—our physical being, spirit, and soul—we would understand each person.

The thoughts above stem not only from insights in my printmaking experiments but also from moments of deep connection with others in daily life. In these moments of connection, language becomes the least important condition, because it bypasses rational thought and the judgments of the brain; it is an instantaneous form of communication. In the following sections, I will use human connection as the main thread of the essay, unfolding related references, ideas, or associations through a simple narrative structure.

Next Step

In fact, reflecting on the "triggers" of human experience over the past six months has further laid the groundwork for my future plans. Before delving into deeper research and doctoral studies, I plan to explore another passion of mine—working in roles that relate to people and help others. By integrating the rich forms and ideas I've gained from studying art, I am excited to see what unexpected outcomes will arise. This summer, I applied for an international journalist position, and I will officially obtain this qualification in January 2025 in Hungary. At the same time, I’ve been in contact with the Hungarian National Museum's Cultural Attaché in China, learning about current cultural exchange needs, and I plan to join in facilitating inter-country art exchanges after graduation.

I have found some printmaking equipment resources in both China and Europe and hope to continue independent artistic creation outside of school. During my undergraduate studies, I was honored with the title of United Nations Youth Diplomat and participated in various projects with the UNDP and OPPO, including roles as host, project leader, and designer. These experiences have encouraged me to not limit myself to a fixed field but instead have instilled in me the confidence to excel at diverse tasks. I believe now is the time to push myself further, to truly understand my aspirations and mission.

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