HAO JINGFANG & WANG LINGJIE

The Idea of Order at Key West, written in 1934, stands as a luminous testament to Stevens’ literary prowess. The poem, drenched in vivid imagery, paints the tableau of a woman singing by the sea. As she sings, the narrative unfolds into a profound philosophical musing on the intertwining realms of art and reality, order and chaos. The woman, portrayed as an ethereal artist, draws her melodic inspiration from the very heart of nature. Even as her voice resonates with the grinding water and the gasping wind, it is her soulful rendition that imposes a sense of order upon the restless wind and tumultuous ocean, sculpting a sanctuary of harmony in an otherwise dissonant world.

Stevens raises a pivotal question within his poem: which holds greater weight, art or reality? Right from the outset of the poem, he elucidates his stance, ‘she sang beyond the genius of the sea. / The water never formed to mind or voice.’ Stevens proposes that art possesses the power to reshape our perception and even the reality. Great artists tend to foster a profound, overarching understanding of life and harbor an earnest desire to infuse order into this chaotic world.

‘Art or reality, which is more paramount?’ WANG Lingjie once posed this very question to HAO Jingfang. It’s also a dilemma that artists grapple with during their creative process, and one’s perspective on art can indeed shape their attitude towards creation and life choices. When confronted with this query, HAO didn’t offer an answer. Instead, she took inspiration from it, beginning to conceive this installation work.

A plum blossom with five petals was gently cast to the ground, forming the visual motif of this work. The idea was drawn from the opening line of another contemporary poem titled In the Mirror: Whenever life’s regrets whisper to memory, the plum blossoms softly tumble down. (只要想起一生中后悔的事，梅花便落了下来) The poet behind these words is ZHANG Zao（张枣）, also the Chinese translator of the English poem The Idea of Order at Key West.

With a solid academic background of both art and technology, the artist crafted a work that melds poetic sensibility with the intricacies of technology through meticulous calculations and in-depth research into various materials, equipment, and technical principles, continuing the consistent temperament of their creations. HAO said she created this work as her response to WANG’ question and also as a gift to her partner.