LIU YI

Human contemplation of consciousness, existence, and the universe has never ceased since ancient times. The artist finds himself increasingly entering the same type of dreams, akin to the phenomenon of “information cocoons” in real life. In these dreams, the perceptual system guides the content based on one’s historical behavior and interests, thereby limiting the diversity within the dream world. The work draws creative inspiration from dreams and multiple realities.

The production of the ink and wash animation employs frame-by-frame hand-drawing techniques, taking two years and involving tens of thousands of sketches. It invites the audience to enter the intersection of dreams and reality, immersing themselves in the misty, sorrowful drizzle of old houses in the Jiangnan region. The approximately 5-minute ink and wash animation, When I Fell Asleep, the Dream Came, portrays an endless loop of dreams that shackle oneself in a state of melancholy. The frame-by-frame ink and wash animation flickers on the screen, sketching elusive memories and perceptions. The imagery freezes in a moist state before the rice paper dries, each flowing frame subtly alluding to tear-filled sorrow. This is further connected to the twinkling rain lines in the spatial installation, constructing a tapestry of genuine emotion and fantastical recollection.

Though consciousness is not material, it has become a mysterious particle dependent on a material foundation. It serves as a conduit to the external world, allowing us to reach another space. Dreams thus become the interwoven link between our memories and parallel universes. When we dream of past experiences, we are communicating with another self in a parallel universe who shares common memories with us. Each dream becomes an experience of our alter ego in another parallel universe.