Aesthetic of Tradition; Aethetic of the Banana Generation

‘As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of being’ , Carl Jung once said.

A site-specific performative installation from July07 to Jan08 on display at Maiz Schaufenster Linz, comissioned by 'Identität Heute...' , funded and supported by Maiz, ukk, LinzKultur, KulturLandOÖ.

-Installation by Delphine Kini Mae
-Video choreographed and shot by Delphine Kini Mae,
Performed by Ingo Keil and Delphine Kini Mae
Special Post-Effect by Tobias Hammerle

Below are some basic concepts I was working with concerning this installation:

1) Formalistic Elements:
The idea here is to make use of the traditional icons such as a Chinese dress Chi-Pao and altar objects, which are commonly seen in everyday Chinese households. In this way of representation, I also pose questions to viewers of how to represent cultural objects. Furthermore, how traditional cultural icons and new western-influenced visual contents can be seen.
It is precisely because I am dealing with such complex codes of the old and the new with their signifiers and underlying meanings, that this time I chose a almost too-simplistic, formalistic means of representative way unlike my other works.

2) Questions of culture: Present and Future, Is it Ever Linear?
Through my work, I want to ask questions like: What does diversity really mean? What does ‘trans-cultural’, ‘trans-global’ underline and define? Can we really identify Asia as a whole homogenized culture bracket? Can National identities such as China or being Chinese as one?

As a body artist-performer, I am also interested in the personal body images carved within the socalled Asian & western communities. It is aligned with my personal interest to continuously investigate such questions;  one can see also in an older piece  'Homeland, Dreambody' 2004.

Lastly:
I belong to the so-called ‘banana generation’
A term used in the west coast of America which means an-Asian-born-raised-in-a-western-society. The name stems from the appearance of bananas: its skin (outside) is yellow, but when you peel it (inside) it is white.

This concept is manifested everywhere visible in this work. For example:  the use of question marks all over the paper dress as the jaxposition to the other window's dress (Chi-Pao): I use the question marks in parallel to the classic design of the chinese dress and the idea of decoration and handcraft that are rooted in both traditional and contemporary art. As the viewer come closer, they start to see the actual question marks in the second window dress(paper dress) rather than a pure paisley design,  speaks of question on the new Chinese identities.

To see more pictures from this exhibition, please go to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58235380@N00/sets/72157601490704377/

Review:"Identival der Pflaster", by KUPF Kulturplattform OOE Austria
http://www.kupf.at/node/1696