Become Useful
Installation/Event Art
The artwork delves into the concept of “maturity,” reflecting the influence of economic models on regional groups and the artist’s exploration of the collective unconscious behavior associated with it. By using trees, a highly symbolic ready-made material, the artist expresses the idea that individual value should not be measured by a “mechanical replication” standard. Trees, as a material with symbolic meaning, represent the patriarchal societal standards of evaluating individuals, which often suppress individuality. Through this material, the artist seeks to challenge this single standard and reflect on the deeper implications of the term “maturity” within societal contexts.
In northeastern China, forestry and heavy/light industry have long dominated the region’s economic development, particularly during the early years of the People’s Republic of China. Among these industries, forestry has had the most profound impact on the region. Against this backdrop, the term “maturity,” initially used to describe the growth stage of trees, gradually extended to become a measure of human value, often carrying societal and familial expectations. The artist combines this historical context with contemporary pressures on individuals, using trees as a medium to question the restrictive nature of such “maturity” standards.
The work’s diameter exceeds 50 cm, and its height exceeds 300 cm, meeting the data requirements for wood. The rough appearance deliberately presents the tree’s raw, unrefined state, boldly asking the audience, “Is this really wood?” This design challenges conventional perceptions of material and form, encouraging viewers to reassess everyday symbols and their meanings from a new perspective. In selecting materials, the artist overlays recognizable ready-made elements, presenting an absurd yet thought-provoking shape. This overlay serves not only as an exploration of the material itself but also as a challenge to the viewer’s inherent ways of thinking, attempting to break free from the constraints of traditional concepts and open up new ways of understanding “maturity” and its limitations.
Through this work, the artist portrays the continuous alienation of the individual by the collective unconscious, particularly the way landscape societies regulate and shape individuals. As a material, trees symbolize societal oppression, while “maturity” as an evaluative standard dissolves individual differences in the pursuit of “success.” The artwork thus calls for a reflection on the tension between individual identity and societal norms, urging the viewer to reconsider the impact of standardized expectations on selfhood. It is both a redefinition of trees and a meditation on the interplay between tradition and innovation, individuality and conformity, in an increasingly homogenized world.
