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‘I fucking want to jump to the age of 30 and get married and then get divorced. Translated by WeChat’
Perfect Pearl is a poetic multimedia project that delves into the pursuit of love and the tension between dreams and harsh realities.
Centered around the female perspective, it explores the concept of love—what we desire or believe we should desire. The narrative touches on themes of existential loneliness, the constructed nature of life, and the fleeting nature of online identities. It questions how we can emancipate ourselves and find our own identity amidst a (lonely) crowd. Rather than focusing on the contrasts between Western and Eastern cultures, I sought to uncover the universal—what love and intimacy mean to young people everywhere. The project reflects the shared human experience of uncertainty and transformation as they navigate the path to adulthood.
I began Perfect Pearl in 2018 during a five-month Artist in Residence at C.E.A.C in China, where I connected with female students from Xiamen University. Through our conversations, we explored their loneliness, desires, and doubts about relationships—whether to marry or not. These friendships evolved into a collaboration, where I wove together my own poetic observations with the thoughts and emotions of my young Chinese friends. Chasing the “perfect future dream” can feel like a dangerous game. Will you always be disappointed if you keep pursuing the “perfect picture”?
WeChat, a popular Chinese messaging app, features a space called 'Moments,' similar to a combination of Twitter and Facebook. In the accompanying book Perfect Pearl, I’ve compiled personal texts from these 'Moments' and direct messages sent to me, offering an intimate glimpse into the inner worlds of these young women. Through this dialogue, Perfect Pearl becomes both a personal and universal exploration of love, identity, and the complexities of modern life.
‘My dream. It’s you! No matter how much of that is true. I’ll say it anyway, I love you. Goodnight.’
Film installation, photography and an artist book. See films under film section.
Articles about Perfect Pearl:
Artslife Italia
https://cphmag.com/perfect-pearl/
On view at:
Caroline O’Breen, Amsterdam. February 18-April 8 2023
BIG ART, Amsterdam. November 4-6 2022
Arles Nuit de L’Année: July 9 2022
Rolling Snowball #15 Iceland July 09- August 09 2022
Portraits Hellerau: April 7- June 12 2022 at the museum Technical Collections in Dresden.
Geurnsey Photography Festival Opening Night
(Unfolded) Book Cover PERFECT PEARL. Design by Inedtion. Eva van der Schans.
In the book PERFECT PEARL the different layers of online and offline, inner and outer world and dream versus reality are expressed through a special folding technique. The intimate inner world is hidden behind the fold of the book. The foreword was written by the Chinese curator Yining He. The photos in the book are accompanied by personal intimate WeChat moments that have been made anonymously. One of the main characters and now a good friend of mine, Lova, wrote a beautiful metaphorical story about love 'I have a Dragon'.
Installation at the museum Technical Collections in Dresden
Project made possible by Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, Dutch Film Fund and Dutch Cultural Embassy in Guangzhou.
Book made possible by Tijlfonds (Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds), Stichting Stokroos and Mondriaan Corona Fonds.
Many thanks to curator Hedy van Erp for support and picture editing.
Installation at BIG ART Amsterdam.
Installation at Gallery Caroline O’Breen