2007
"Mantou" ( Counting days )
video, 41 mins, 2007

The life in Paris inspired me to originate this work that presents the alienation process of myself. The idea was drawn from the discovery of different uses of toilet paper between Taiwan and France (folding vs. reeling). It took six years for completion with 618 toilet paper roll's images, in which each roll represents the days I spent in Paris.

 

Besides, "Mantou" reveals the hidden harmonization of invidual differences through their unique appearances and presents a concept of how simple items and conversely illustrate complex meanings.

 

The idea of "counting days" comes from a thought in my country: during military service, instead of rice, the main food for the meal is replaced by a simplified form: Chinese bun called "mantou". The soldiers eat a "mantou" at each meal. Therefore, people say that the days you spend for military service is the days you count "mantous".

 

Counting these remains, I count the days of my life in Paris.

 

 

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