Shangzhi L.

Artist's statement

The whole project was originally inspired by Samuel Zeller's photography book Botanical. The perspective of “staring at plants through translucent glass” provided by his works inspired me and reminded me of plants living in greenhouses, just like people living in society. “Translucent” actually implies those deep-rooted things in society that are difficult to change. The original intention of this theme is to show these real social problems that I think about in the form of artistic expression.

The second stage is based on the new perspective provided in the first stage: exploring the complex relationships between individuals and groups. The outline of a cable tie is like the outline of a human face, while combined cable ties are like a crowd gazing at it. “The crowd is like a net binding individuals.” I took the cable-tie installation I made and photographed it separately in crowded and uninhabited areas, to highlight more strongly the sense of disconnection and the complex relationships between individuals and groups.