Counterfictions / 边境怪谈

“Counterfictions” is an artwork by London-based artist Chris Zhongtian Yuan, in which the artist experiments with video, fiction, sound, architecture and performance to query political policy and social connections. “Counterfictions” uses Donald Trump as a starting point, as he builds a fictional wall in the public imagination. The film questions what happens when the world leans towards populism and conservatism. The sound architecture piece constructs alternative realities of ecological collapse after the construction of Trump’s border wall proposal. Layers of sound are combined with shadowy shots of arid landscapes. Facts and statistics from scientists, journalists and the former President’s speeches are referenced. The piece reaches a crescendo as a biologist tracks a genetically mutated species along the US Mexico border. The artist received The 2020 Aesthetica Art Prize’s Emerging Prize for “Counterfictions”. This publication is designed by RELATED DEPARTMENT as an archive folder of loose leaves containing research materials, video stills, diagrams, model prototypes and other related files for this artwork.

在《边境怪谈》中，Chris尝试用视频、小说、声音、建筑和表演来质疑政治政策和社会联系。《边境怪谈》以美国前总统特朗普为起点，他在公众的想象中建立了一堵虚构的墙。作品质疑当世界向民粹主义和保守主义倾斜时会发生什么。这个声音建筑作品构建了特朗普建造边境墙提案后生态崩溃的另一种现实。层层叠叠的声音与干旱地貌的朦胧镜头相结合。来自科学家、记者和前总统演讲的事实和统计数据被引用。当一位生物学家沿着美国墨西哥边境追踪一个基因突变的物种时，作品的叙事达到了高潮。Chris凭借《边境怪谈》获得了2020年英国Aesthetica艺术奖。

Page Bureau (书局) is the self-publishing practice of the independent graphic design studio, RELATED DEPARTMENT (有关设计部门) from Shanghai. They publish printed matter and digital files designed with/for their artist/designer/illustrator/architect friends.