In Progress

Performance and photograph

Photographer: Yu-Ching Wang & Winnie Su

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If I could stand in the sky, would I have more freedom? Through this naive question, I challenge human notions of geographical boundaries and national social norms, contemplating the relationship between these invisible borders and freedom. By attempting to escape human conventions through absurd actions, I reflect on the survival struggles and helplessness I face as a "foreigner" and "Taiwanese" in a foreign environment, extending my thoughts on how these invisible boundaries shape "identity." In the current turbulent international situation, where some people are forced to relocate or immigrate due to personal pursuits, do we, as humans, have the freedom to choose?

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"If I could stand in the sky..." is a work combining performance art, still images, and spatial installations. During the performance, I am both the artist and the performer. I lie on the street and lift my legs, creating the illusion from my perspective that I am standing in the sky. Each moment of this illusion is documented in photographs. The still images are presented in pairs, with one photo showing feet standing in the sky and the other capturing the absurd act from a bystander's perspective, contrasting the lighthearted delusion with heavy reality. The interactive exhibition combines image outputs and on-site text creation. Questions are written in chalk and charcoal within the space, and as the audience engages, the text gradually erases, responding to the idea that one's identity can easily be wiped away, leaving no trace in a foreign land.

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This project is inspired by my identity and experiences as a "foreigner" living in New York City. As a foreigner, I face many restrictions, such as not being able to freely choose my work, limited housing options, restricted movement across US borders, and inability to vote, despite paying taxes to the state and country. This foreign identity makes me feel like a second-class citizen, leading me to question what shapes my identity.

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As humans, living anywhere on Earth should be a given, but it has become complex and difficult. Humans divide the Earth with borders, create countries, and establish social systems, seemingly to secure limited resources and ensure freedom, but these also impose limits on freedom. These intriguing invisible "boundaries" make us different groups and different people. Wars are waged over these boundaries, leading some to become refugees. The "identity" formed by these boundaries categorizes us into different ranks, unequally restricting our freedom of movement. Identity determines which areas of the Earth we can access and the rights we enjoy. Due to the conflicts of interest between different geographical groups, the region I was born in often disappears from maps (a man-made construct), becoming an "invisible nation." Humans not only divide natural spaces but also attempt to erase geographical spaces in their games. As a Taiwanese person abroad, constantly facing questions about the existence of my country, I feel as if I too have disappeared from the Earth.

 

As a resident of Earth, I seem to have to follow the rules of the game, but interestingly, the US tax system considers me an alien. I wonder, if I could stand in the sky, would I be free from the constraints of human rules?

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