Only Drowning Men Could See Him

My Saltiness in the Land series

The portfolio My Saltiness in the Land includes four recent projects about how my identity has been diluted into the broader body of water after I lost a sense of belongingness both in my hometown and overseas.

I was born in Ningbo, which is an important port city in southern China. So water becomes the keyword of my life, and I use the word Saltiness to refer to my identity. It introduces self-identity as a kind of variable concentration rather than a simple yes-or-no question.

Title: Only Drowning Men Could See Him

Date: 2020

It is a photo installation about how I found salvation from the reflection of myself in water, which gives me a clue where my identity goes. The flowing water purifies my lost identity by isolating me from the external world and therefore bringing me back to the mother’s womb. Photos of natural scenes and personal trace are also included as evidence of my existence in the external world. I’m undefined and ready to be re-defined in water. The photo installation can be seen from different angles since photos are (in)visible in water reflection.

这一摄影装置展现了我通过水下我的倒影从而寻找到身份认知的线索的过程。流动的水体将我与外界短暂的隔离，从而净化了迷失的自我，并将我带回母亲的子宫。我在水体中是无定义的初始婴儿，并且准备好被重新出发、重新定义的。系列还包括了部分自然景观以及人类踪迹的图像，作为我在外在世界中存在的证明。装置由于水面反射使得照片忽隐忽现，可从不同角度观看。