3 Mountains

Timber, Salvaged Roof Tiles, Bamboo, Grass

Xi Museum - Zixi Qingliang Mountains, 

Jiangxi Province. China. 

2022

Part of Xi Museum Public art Collection

Final contemplation

A cosmological experience, Nicholas Campion, a British astrologer and historian has describes it,“the world view and belief system of a community based upon their understanding of order in the universe” , An exploration of entwined narratives and journey of vernacular observations provides the means for establishing a cultural bridge between the foreigner and villagers nourished by  shared conceptual thinking, design principles and philosophies. The charm of the rural environment comes from its natural surroundings. The simplicity of rural areas derives from their coexistence with nature. Local materials have distinct natural capabilities, allowing them to blend in with the natural surroundings. The rural artistic voyage enables the focus on the artist (referred to as the ‘I’) to be shifted into a a harmonious and  communally shared experience. The ‘I’ is thus replaced by the ‘we’. The collaborative process of performance art and rural architecture design provided the opportunity for an immersive experience of the traditional Chinese landscape painting of ‘Shan Shui’ and the unified distinction between art and architecture, a representation of the mind or the spirit. The villagers were fully involved in the entire artistic process through their traditional craftsmanship, including spoken and material dialogue. The role of the villagers in this process has been crucial  to building an authentic sense of belonging and identity. Referring back to Chinese Architect Ieoh Ming Pei, who describes  architecture as "the very mirror of life…..the presence of the past, the spirit of a place; […] the reflection of society.” The  goal of the rural collaboration is not the sole focus of the artist or the artwork, but rather the continuation of the rural traditions and the start of a new artistic chapter.

Visitors contemplation: 

“What makes it art ?”

Village worker, Master Wang Guoliang's reaction: 

“It's great! when can I move in, when can I bring my wife ?”

Curator, Zhuona asked: 

“The piece is called the ‘Three Mountains’, where is the third mountain ?”

Villager, Master Wu Herong replied:  

“We are standing on it, it's all around us”