For our March “Vortex” series, we have designed an intensive program featuring two inspiring events, each exploring a different facet of a geographical concept that is familiar to us all: “Jiangnan”, or “River South”—the lands south of the Yangtze River. Our first guest, Shao Yi from Xiaoshan district of Hangzhou city, embodies dual identities as both artist and practitioner pursuing religious and spiritual beliefs. When confronting the “places” he has experienced, he simultaneously acts upon and observes them. His profound, intuitive life experience becomes the perfect testament to a philosophy—“the terroir constrains him, yet he, in turn, constrains the terroir.” This “circular limitation” reveals itself in an unselfish and serene self-discovery, coalescing into what he terms a “historical body.” Our other guest, Dr. Bian Kaiwen from Xinghua county in Taizhou, Jiangsu, illuminates the fissures within the dominant historiographical frameworks of China’s major rivers and seas. Through these overlooked spaces, he returns to and reconstructs “Jiangnan” by following the lifeways of those dwelling along inland waters. Scheduled one week apart, these complementary sessions hosted by the two guest speakers will present us a speculative, imagined picture of “Jiangnan.” 

“My studio rests in a quiet corner of a courtyard in a former state-owned enterprise. Dim and humid, it is an often forgotten place that seems to appreciate its own stillness. When rains fall, I listen to the rhythmic patter of droplets, and when cold descends, I find warmth beside my fireplace heater—a situation which I particularly enjoy, as it perfectly aligns with my state of mind. For the past decade, I’ve lived and am still living much like a pill bug—requiring little, existing almost imperceptibly, yet possessing remarkable life force. I treasure each moment of my “hidden” life here: steeping tea, reading books, conducting research (on, for example, the traditional techniques of decocting Chinese herb medicine), pursuing scholarly endeavors, and creating my works. In the summer of 2023, an old classmate inscribed a poem on a folding fan for me — a gift I deeply cherish and wish to share:

A Corner on the West River

by Dai Shicheng

In my humble abode among purple bamboos,

I practice art and reclaim my once-pristine spirit,

No need to announce this to the world,

The cool breeze and I already share our silent understanding.”

— Shao Yi

About the Speaker: Shao Yi

Shao Yi is an artist who works and lives in Hangzhou. He approaches art with a distinctly personal attitude and his work reflects diverse visual forms. When it comes to art, he’s less interested in following established conventions and working with existing rules than in charting his own path, embracing whatever results may come.