BackAssembling the Hometown
Submitted by Sun Yat Sen University – Communication and Design Institute
Head of Organisation: Deng Qiyao
Contact person: Xiong Xun
1. Aims / Objective / Goals of project
Aims:
Anchoring itself on surveys on human studies, through varied presentation methods of visual anthropology, with the help from artists, cultural workers, curators and villagers working in the Lisu tribe's Flower Village, the project aims to collectively construct artworks using different art forms. These artworks, once done, will be assembled to form a virtual interactive network called “The Flower Village Hometown”.
Objectives:
Firstly, the virtual village serves as repository of their nostalgia and memories. The Flower Village was originally situated in Teng Chong, Yunnan, in a valley surrounded by high mountains. But due to rapid development in water and electricity in the Southwestern parts of China, most villagers were forced to move to the plains mostly inhabited by Han villagers. The change in environment has brought about much unhappiness to these tribal peoples of the Lisu tribe, for they have been used to living in the mountains, not on the plains. Through constant pinings on their hometown, Flower Village becomes repository of bliss, happiness and yearnings. In addition, with their houses torn down, the Flower Village of yesterdays becomes a legendary virtual space, only to be yearned and not attainable. Our project tries to deploy different strategies in visual arts to re-present this hometown, making both “seeable and attainable”.
Secondly, we would also want to use the notion of “assembling” and “sharing” in our project by highlighting the process of assembling the artwork showing artists', researchers' and cultural workers' entry points into the tribe. Therefore, the “hometown” in our project is not just a hometown for villagers in Flower Village, but also every artists' version of “their hometowns”. Hence, this inclusive project will also welcome “the others”.
Thirdly, we also want to place emphasis on the interactivity of the work. The Flower Village Hometown will contain photography works, videos, fine arts, illustrations etc in presentation, not to mention distribution of information on the internet, publications, forums, and other media channels, to improve communication and exchanges. Making it “seeable” is made possible by re-creating/representing lost visual memories through these varied art forms. And in making it “attainable”, the project aims to organise a series of activities to re-construct historical traditions, cultural contexts and social relationships among humans and nature. The final product would be a public activity building a growing virtual - hopefully, spiritual - realm reflecting “the hometown”. Naturally, the project encompasses cross-cultural and discursive exchanges.
Goals:
Based on our primary considerations, our goals in this project are:
Assembling the Hometown is a series of artworks that showcases the richness in village landscapes, the relationship between people and villages, relationships between elements within and without the villages; it also presents artworks by villagers and artists, including arts, photography, video and audio works and other media forms. As disparate as they seem to be, the artworks form a collective impression of the notion “hometown”, comprehensively on a physical and emotional platform. It is a both a realistic and imaginary platform. It is a platform that links memories, hopes and realities together, and also one that integrates collective emotion experiences. In view of that, we will use different strategies to excavate exchange flows between different cultures, deepening the understanding between cultures.
Assembling the Hometown is also a construct built on mutual interaction. It includes field surveys and pre vs post interviews, coupled with original creations and exchange activities. We sincerely hope, through this process, the villagers could complete what reality can't provide: attaining happiness through the return to the hometown.
This project also questions the relationship between art and emotional connections, and how art and happiness could be connected to each other. Through this process, we will be able to see the roles how the process of art, how the understanding of art and art discourses interact in the process of assembling a hometown.
2. Brief description of project
We are a collective of academics, artists and curators. To say the least, the relationship between contemporary art and society has become more disparate, creating alienations; something we shall not discuss here. In this project, we aims to combine all elements in
The Lisu tribe into one, through the use of mix-media techniques to start “assembling the hometown”, forging collaboration between art, academia and daily life.
a. The Hometown of the Past and Life in Reality
The Flower Village was a place situated in Teng Chong, Yunnan, a place in the mountainous areas in the region of the China and Burma border. Four years ago, due to rapid developments in water development, migrants moved from their village to Han villages in the plains. They received bountiful material compensations: free villa-like houses, big sums of money and unlimited supplies of food. But, similar to urban dwellers who have been consumed by material affluence in the modernisation process, these migrants are not happy. What they really want to do is to return to their homes in the mountains. In early 2008, we initiated a new video exchange project in the Flower Village:
We delivered more than 10 sets of digital cameras to the villagers allowing them to engage in picture exchanges. Through this project, we discovered the important position the village has in the hearts of the villagers. Since they can't possibly go back to their village anymore, all of them tried to replicate the memories of the village through the photography project. In the process of doing so, they experienced happiness.
The Lisu tribe is peoples that cross the border between China and Burma. They are wellversed in fishing and hunting, considered one of the most fearsome people in Southeast Asia. They are also known as barbarians with no culture and civilisation, with no language of their own. But, through our photography project, we discovered their interest in photography and the creativity they possess in using this artistic medium; an example of civilisation.
b. Resembling the Hometown and the Sentiments Within
In our project, we want to anchor on researches based on anthropological surveys, in trying to discover the most pressing concerns of the villages, we discovered the importance of preserving their memories. In our conversations with them, we aim to discuss strategies on how to go about assembling their virtual hometown, to construct a collective “hometown”. Through this, we hope to bring them happiness. The steps include:
1. Searching for Hometown: The first step: we will gather artists (paintings, videos, audio and installations) and anthropologists together to go back to their hometown to understand about memory and stories, and to understand the form they want to employ in presenting the content. Through this, we will discover the art form.
2. Drawing the Hometown: Using videography as the base, we encourage interactions between the artists and the villagers in looking for suitable materials and environment for expression. The aim is to empower them with skills in drawing, photography, videography, and encouraging them to work collaboratively.
3. Regaling the Hometown: Through the recording of sounds and interviews on the recollections of memories, happy memories could be traced. Most importantly, we want to construct a complete community soundscape.
4. Constructing the Hometown: Through the use of local materials, artists and villagers collectively work on an installation piece based on theme. The whole process will be documented.
5. Assembling the Hometown: Lastly, we will invite some villagers to work sound and web designers from Guangzhou to assemble pictures and installation pieces making them into a virtual village. We will also document the process every step of the way, not to mention publications.
c. The Power of Expression in Art and Expression
In the process of community sharing through the use anthropology, in the name of collective construction, and passing the power of narration to the villagers, we place great emphasis on the significance of the art in that locality. “Doing art on site” moves art to the daily life, creating meanings from sentimentality. In this process, art becomes a form of artistic exchange between cross-culturalism and roles different societies play. Through narrative, power is given to the villagers. This is a form of happiness. Art and living are related. From another perspective, this form of environmental art also provides a chance for us to move away from the city and, through field surveys, find our hometowns.
3. Methodology / Implementation of project
Field Surveys
We will use field surveys to further understand our natural environment, society and culture, humanity etc, building close relationships with them. Since March 2008, we have been hard at work on this journey. Till date, our members have already spent 2 months carrying out field surveys, collated large amounts of video materials, struck up good relationships with the locals. A Flower Village memory video project is slowly emerging.
b. Interactions and Sharing
In the process of the getting the project on the way, we will bring artists, curators and researchers together to perform researches on the Flower Village. The responses villagers give to the project are invaluable. Artists will be also encouraged to bring the villagers into their creative processes, for example in areas of audio and video recordings. Most importantly, villagers must be given the power of narration in the story, not perspectives and values from others.
c. Artworks that can Sustain Development
Nearing to the end of project, we will construct a “virtual flower village”. But this project will still continue to grow. We will also assist the villagers to buy a computer system and train them to operate and maintain the website. The villagers will be encouraged to engage in constant discussions on the project. As publications on the project grow, the virtual hometown will continue to be enriched.
4. Time frame of project
March to April 2009
Artists and researchers exchange ideas in
Guangzhou, the Flower Village society and moving
the project forward. / All artists involved.
April to August 2009
Field Survey / Zheng Qihao and Xiong Xun.
April
Field Survey and Research Report / Xiong Xun and Li Jing
April to June 2009
Interview and Audio / Li Jing
May and June 2009
Villagers Photography Project / Flower Villagers and Xiong Xun.
June and August 2009
Villagers DV Project Flower Villagers and Xiong Xun.
April till the end of project
The Flower Village documentary / Xiong Xun
August 2009
Training on Internet / Xiong Xun
July to September 2009
Mid-Term / Zheng Qiyao
5 - 25 July 2009
Regaling the Hometown / Zhou Kaimo
17 - 29 July 2009
the Hometown / Yang Xiaoyan
1 - 20 August 2009
Constructing the Hometown / Peng Yuan
15 August – 3 September 2009
Web Design / Villagers, He Cong
August to December 2009
Finishing up and Exchange / Zheng Qiyao and
Yang Xiaoyan
'October 2009
Completion of Web Design and Maintenance / Villagers
November to December 2009
Production of Documentary /Xiong Xun
After September
Publication and Exchanges /Zheng Qiyao and Yang Xiaoyan
5. Projected Output of Project
Interactive Website “Assembling the Hometown”
The project is both an exhibition and public discussion platform. Through the virtual Flower Village Hometown, the space, the exhibits, the process of assembling the village and interactive platforms will be constructed. All of them are part of the artwork. They will be collective maintained by the villagers and the artists.
Documentary - Assembling the Hometown
A film archiving the project, the exhibition and public exchanges. Through the virtual Flower Village, interviews and exhibits are presented. Photography by Xiong Xun.
Audio Project - Just Chats and Fragmented Words
An audio project, managed by Zhou Kaimo, detailing project Regaling the Hometown. The project will be also used as the soundscape for the website.
Documentary - Where is your Hometown?
The main content of the documentary relates to the Xiong Xun's programme Searching for Hometown, with an emphasis on analysing - to them- what happiness is. It also includes the artwork completed by both artists and villagers.
Visual Arts Project - Memories of the Flower Village
The main content of the work consists of daily art and craft works of the villagers. It includes pictures and videos too.
Installation - Hometown
The main content of the work consists of the programme Peng Yuan organises entitled Constructing the Hometown. The installation work will be installed in the new village of the old Flower Village people.
Eventually, all works will be sent to various arts festivals for participation.
6. Who is your target audience for your project?
Audience can be classified into may different types:
a. Local villagers.
They are collaborators, audience members and critiques. The works will be presented in the villages and in the Lisu tribe along the Chinese-Burmese border.
b. Artists and Arts Organisations.
We will participate in some local and international arts festivals, exhibitions and documentary festivals.
c. Students in Tertiary Institutions
We will also showcase our works to students in institutions of higher learnings, contemporary artists and students as well as researchers. We will also organise talks and seminars, not to mention international symposiums.
d. The Media and the Public
Through the internet, we will strive to get more audiences through our publications and forum discussions.
7. How do you propose to disseminate information about the project to
your target audience?
Firstly, we will use the exhibition as the primary tool of publicity. By putting up the exhibition in villages and DV exhibitions; organising music, installation and videography projects in schools (Zhongshan University, Xinghai Music Academy and Guangzhou Art Academy, to name a few); organise forums and artistic exchanges; participating in exhibitions and forums organised by well-known arts spaces, eg The Grass Field, Vitamin
Arts Space; participate in international photography festivals and documentary festivals - Lianzhou International Film Festival, Yun Zhi Nan Documentary Festival and Manchester Documentary Festival.
Secondly, we will participate in academic and artistic symposiums - and to get discussions going on academic journals- related to our topic at hand, for example the 16th Kunming, Yunan Anthropolgy and Ethnic Studies Symposium, Arts and Anthropology Symposium, and Lianzhou International Film Festival Symposium. Not to mention, symposiums organized by Zhongshan University, Yunnan University and Culture, Broadcasting, Art and Design Institutions. We will also introduce the project in the upcoming issue of Visual Anthropology Research magazine.
Thirdly, we will also try get maximum coverage on media channels with special interests in arts and anthropology through publication of essays and culture discussions. These efforts will culminate in printed publications.
8. How do you think your project will create impact on the art communities/the cultures that you want to engage with? How will it
develop the field of your art form?
Art and academia - as much as they belong to artists and academics - commonly known as creation and academic research; most of them take place in schools, studios and study tables; art distribution usually takes place in museums, universities and mainstream media. We sincerely hope this project will change some of these conditions making habits out of our ways of art production and transmission.
We have artists, cultural researches and broadcasters; most importantly, villagers. We firmly believe that the sentimentality and the desire for a hometown should be anchored on cross-cultural collaboration, and only through exchanges among cultures and peoples can both a virtual and real hometown be created.
At a broader level, this project will not just result in final production; it is a communal act, an action by many people. They are different from Performance Art, for it is not an act of self-indulgence and eccentricity, but a public attempt made by human beings to understand and interact with each other. It is only through this the value of art could happen, deepening as it goes along with common values shared by human beings.
In the realm of art and culture transmission, through the use of arts to share one's experience and giving one's right to express their stories, imbalances in culture transmission in contemporary society and power in culture will be critically reflected.
It will greatly improve the way arts could be expressed and the way values are represented.