Seen, Vaguely Perceived
Production year: 2024
Mediums: Installation, moving image
This project investigates how rural culture intersects with short video platforms under the "Digital China" concept and examines the phenomenon of rural women embracing internet media production.
Rural women, speaking in various dialects, carefully craft identities that extend beyond being "left-behind wives," transforming themselves into minor internet celebrities. However, this shift rarely translates into changes in their real rural lives. Villagers often view internet fame as an inappropriate profession and avoid discussing it. On screens, rural life becomes a spectacle shaped by capital, where the act of being watched overshadows women's authentic voices. Their bodies and images are scrutinised, keeping their roles marginalised.
I using an extensive collection of social media content created by rural women and audiovisual language, I explored the invisible barriers to identity construction at the intersection of "spectatorship, digital production, and reality." Through the above practices, I have tried to reveal the structural predicament of rural women in both digital and physical societies.
Installation view, Seen, Vaguely Perceived, 2024Installation view, Seen, Vaguely Perceived, 2024Installation view, Seen, Vaguely Perceived, 2024
20:25, Mesh Fabric, Cotton Gauze, 90*170mmInstallation view, Seen, Vaguely Perceived, 2024
Video stills, Seen, Vaguely Perceived, 2024
Installation view, Seen, Vaguely Perceived, 2024
Video stills, Seen, Vaguely Perceived, 2024
Screen 1: Through the use of specialeffects, beautifcation and cross-dressing,women can see a more 'perfect’ versionof themselves, embodying the shaping ofvirtual images and self-idealisation.
Screen 2: A mosquito net is projected toshow the positive image of women's livesthrough Handspring, highlighting theconstruction of identity in the virtual space.
Screen 3: Placed next to the mosquito net,showing the ordinary life of rural womenrecorded objectively, in contrast to thevirtual image.
Screen 4: Presenting women's browsing.liking and commenting on snapchat,reflecting their real preferences andinteractions, embodying privacy andindividuality.
Exhibition documentation video, Seen, Vaguely Perceived, 2024