TRACE (2015)   

 

TRACE is a site-specific project at Crypt galley. It is a part of the group exhibition INDEX.

 

The project is created to associate time and historical atmosphere in the immemorial Crypt with contemporary living. The artwork connects the underground room to its external surrounding.

 

Inside the Crypt, I see broken bricks and ruins are evidence of its past stories and time. They are most of the time disregarded. TRACE seeks to, visually and tactilely, join and present cracks and ruins on the interior walls, linking to the exterior construction. It allows the viewers to sense the atmosphere and wonder around the space by tracking from spot to spot.

 

In the Bible, gemstones and crystals are mentioned several times. Some people regard them to possess mystical power that can be utilized for healing purposes. Some believe that crystals can also stimulate spiritual growth. As a machine-made substitution to natural crystals, sugar cubes were used to fill in broken interior and exterior architectural structure to connote the past time of the church and contemporary lifestyle is interweaved.

 

Sugar cube could be seen as another form of mass-produced or machine-made crystal. The cubes are identical in geometrical shape and are quick in production. In contrast, macroscopic single crystals are usually identifiable by their geometrical shape, consisting of flat faces with specific, characteristic orientations. Generally, the process of natural crystals formation takes a long duration of time.

 

The fact that the crypt is quite humid makes sugar dissolves by time. Sugar melted, and some parts of work were falling apart during the show. Humidity transforms structures; it signifies time passing.