Among islands in South China Sea, Pratas Island was once called “The Coral Island". The island and reefs globally well-known for their natural prosperity and pivotal location were under the rule of Imperial China and Nam Việt Kingdom, controlled by Japanese merchant and claimed by UK. Today, South China Sea is still the red sea of diplomatic conflicts entangled with rising nationalism in Asia and conspiracy for resources and military deployment.
With corals, a sea chart from a Chinese freighter, and marine debris cables, the artist utilizes mechanics and deconstructs the labor scenes with historical documents, and through suspension, towing, entanglement, traction, load-bearing and technical operations, to prop up a floating and materialized seabed landform of this blurry coastline. Audience are invited to experience, with body prior to brain, the interactive stalemate between gravity and physical strength in forms of gym weight training, and the tension among continental shed of human’s territorial interpretation of history.
