Riddle or: A Child’s Bestiary of Mountains and Seas

Multi-channel Video Installation | Television, Projection, Pedestal, Walkie-talkie | 2022 | Runtime Variable | Dimensions Variable

A childhood investigation into the ancient book Classic of Mountains and Seas.

Geographically complies hundreds of plants and beasts, the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shan Hai Jing) may have existed as early as the Pre-Qin Period. At the intersection of Chinese mythology and natural history, the film explores the relationship between the form of child drawings and the representation of historical texts.

The installation version consists of three monitors and one projection. Different sections of the animation with different lengths create almost infinite combinations through looping. A single walkie-talkie indicates an imagined conversation with the absence of its pair.

Installed at RISD Auditorium Blue Studio