Intertidal

INTERTIDAL is a virtual exhibition that focuses on the natural objects found along the Hudson River during low tide hours.

I want this exhibition to be my quiet yet poetic response to this consumerist society. It is crucial to rebuilding the ability to identify and appreciate materials and craftsmanship. I want to remind people of the beauty and vitality of tiny things around us.

I collected the most mundane items that were washed up to the shore by the tide. These objects are often microscopic, abundant, ignored, underappreciated, and taken for granted.

The tradition of appreciating Scholar Rocks in ancient China inspires my next approach. East Asian countries have a long history of appreciated nature objects like rocks and trees. Moreover, they have been prominent subjects for their artworks.

I put a wooden cube as a base on each of them. A sense of importantness is added, and the small objects' status is somewhat elevated. Then I set up a background to mimic the gallery environment. Then I moved on to incorporate collages in them. These collages are the imaginary natural environments where I think these objects originally from or truly belong to.

Upon the completion of the setup of this virtual exhibition set up. I decided to release these objects back to their natural habitat. I used removable water-based glue throughout this project so that when I put them back to the Hudson River, they do not harm the environment. I held a mini farewell ceremony for all the objects I collected, and I documented it with a time-lapse video.

Lastly, I want to share a quote from Glenn Adamson, the author of the book Fewer, Better Things: The Hidden Wisdom of Objects: "Recognize them for what they are, and we might just get to the other side."