I was born in a small village in Shaanxi, China. People could use electricity until I was 5 years old. My elementary school was far away from home, so my sisters and I had to leave home to go to school very early in the morning. We always used flashlights to light up the paths. After graduating from college, I started my first studio in Beijing’s Heiqiao Art District. However, the place is located in the intersection between Beijing City and rural areas, with poor facilities. Power outages happened frequently. I Always carried a flashlight. The flashlights were for me lots of.
Nietzsche said: "There is no facts, only interpretation." Today I ask:'' why are people more and more unhappy today, while science and technology are more and more developed?” So I question Scientism. In order to express my idea correctly, I gave up painting, and is seeking a great way to explain thoughts using installation.
On August 28, 2022, "Light Source" Ma Dongli's solo exhibition opened at the Cheng Contemporary Art Center in the 798 Art District. The main medium of the works in this exhibition is the flashlight. In the overall darkened exhibition space, the flashlights of each installation flashed a cold luster in the dark.
"他者之下" became the most attractive work in the whole hall.
“Pure light is just blinding as pure darkness. "It's all invisible, if you cover it up, can you see anything?
“ 他者之下“,the installation has two prats: 1000 flashlights and a light screen. The light screen shows lots of internet buzzwords. People can see the letters when the flashlights turn off. However, when 1000 flashlights turn on and 1000 beams are shining on the opposite screen wall, all letters disappear. The screen becomes bright and empty. When people are coming to the screen wall, the beams from flashlights are blocked by the bodies. So you can see letters in shadow. However, You cannot see letters on the wall where there are no shadows. Except buzzwords, Kant's Moral Law by Kant and the three maxims of the Greek Delphi Temple are shown on the top of the screen. I hope that people will not only have a good experience at the exhibition, but also gain some thought from the words on the screen.