The thorn bird project

Abstract

The Thorn Bird Project explores the functional and aesthetic possibilities of the concept of 'carrying your home with you'. The installation contains commonly seen objects in Chinese domestic gathering spaces, inspired by the place where my extended family came together for the last time shortly before my beloved grandma passed away. I challenge the stagnated image of a home of Chinese culture with a unique set of aesthetics, aiming to present the project as a readable scenery for a wide range of audience regardless of cultural background. The Thorn Bird Project interjects the viewer's reality, so that even the audience is situated in a western physical location yet surrounded by something so rooted in a different culture. The project addresses such in-between-ness, of shifting human and cultures. Its framework is a physical manifestation of a mental safe space, for modern nomads (including but not limited to myself) facing the dilemma of uprooting. One version of the installation was also exhibited at the 4th Venice Design Biennial.