"In/consistent System" is a complex art piece exploring the intricate relationship between humans and nature, composed of a semi-closed transparent blue water bag. Inside, there are natural materials directly excavated from a river, including river sand, mud, pebbles, and various forms of metal pieces. The artist crafted this piece by hand, drawing inspiration from a deep insight into the technological process, particularly how humans resist nature through mechanization, while also highlighting nature’s retaliation against mechanization, such as the severe rust issue in the early stages of the metallurgical industry.
The artist cleverly utilizes a yellow box to pump oxygen into the water, accelerating the rusting process of the metal pieces, creating a unique visual and auditory experience. A microphone placed inside the water bag allows the audience to listen in real-time through headphones to the sounds within the bag and the ambient sounds of the gallery, creating a peculiar echo effect. When sounds from the gallery, such as people talking or patting the water bag, pass through the water and are picked up by the microphone, it produces a sound similar to what one might hear when visiting a natural cave. This, combined with the bubbling noise created by the oxygen entering the water, constructs a unique virtual reality image built through sound.
As the water level in the bag changes, the sound effects and auditory scenes also shift, providing the audience with a continuously evolving and exploratory artistic experience. In the accompanying video, the artist has selected some interesting sound clips and provided scene descriptions, transforming them into a video file, further enriching the content and form of expression of the artwork.
This work not only showcases the artist’s profound insight into technological development and the human-nature relationship but also offers a novel artistic experience that sparks deep reflection on nature, technology, and our role within it. Through the combination of sound and vision, "In/consistent System" stands as an engaging and philosophical piece of art.
