Be Framed
HABITUAL, LIMITED, RESTRICTED.
The installation BE FRAMED is based on a compound model of an exhibition space to illustrate the vision of interacting with the performance of local oil painting industry history. The project got inspiration from workers in Dafen Oil Painting Village in Shenzhen, China. This special crowd of people has excellent painting skills even compared with the masters, but they could only repeat copying the masterpieces all day for a living. The iconic reality not only limited their dream but also imprison their consciousness. I try to evoke people’s self-awareness of social problems like equal rights of pursuing dreams in China by designing an installation focused on body interaction with spatial performance.
About this project
About this project
About this project
About this project
About this project
About this project
Keywords:
Spatial design
Short film
Performance Space
Garment making
Individual project
Apr 2020 - Dec 2020
Location
Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Key features
Research & Analysis
Garment Making
Installation Reformation
Short Film
Performance
Space
Background & Focused Crowds
"Such a group of painters in the copying and copying of painting activities, from the physical production of products to the spiritual realm of deep perception. They entered Van Gogh, into art, into thinking about meaning. “
Dafen Oil Painting villiage, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
A Story about Xiaoyong Zhao
Summary:
The regional limitation of "Chinese Van Gogh" implies that the story is more tragic than romantic. To some extent, the similarity between the painter and Van Gogh is not only in the imitation but also in the fact that they both have no way out of life and are forced to struggle which they have no choice.
I chose the spatial experience design to tell this narrative story. Imagine people could walk in an enclosed room full of obstacles. In the middle of the room, people find a wearable installation and they may be able to try it on. They would feel the rigidity and the inconvenience like the workers who work on an assembly line repeating the same motion all the time.
Focused Crowds
Candidates for Fine Arts Bachelor entrance examination in China
Workers in Dafen Oil Painting Village
Assembly line workers in Chinese factory
Key:
These three crowds both share the same characteristics-heavy repeated motion, low-skilled work, and maintained exhausted gestures. People are under pressure. There are crucial competitions between candidates for fine arts entrance examinations in China. Holding the same gesture for hours without changing. Workers in Dafen Village paint fake Van Gogh for a living.
Wearable Installation
Analysis of Gesture
Design Detail 1: Choice of Padding
The mechanical movements of Candidates for the fine arts Bachelor entrance examination in China and the line workers bring wrinkles to clothes and lead the rigid muscle memory. I was trying to keep that state on in some way to sense the viewers.
​
To find the best way to rigidify the textile, I experimented with gypsum on different material surfaces.
College & Sketches
Design Detail 2: Puffy silhouette
I get inspiration from candidates of the fine art entrance examination, paint workers in Dafen Village, assembly-line workers, and farmer characters in Van Gogh’s paintings. I use collages to find the silhouette of my garment.
Final Garment Process
Design Detail 3: Use of Canvas fabric that leaves water stains easily
Inspiration college
Final illustration
Final illustration
Garment front & back
Details of water stain
The garment weighs about 6kg. It is made of canvas, so it would leave yellow water stains easily. This characteristic better shows how endless pressure taken by meaningless mechanical movements frames people into an uncomfortable status. The water stain that stays on the cloth naturally creates the appearance of a yellow sweat stain which represents a feeling of aging. People may be out of action when wearing the garment.
Short Film "Habitual, Limited, Restricted"
Under the structural social system we all live in, many people are imprisoned by life and under great pressure. However, people are unable to make changes. Many people are not free inside, and can not step out of the so-called "comfort circle". It was just like the feeling of wearing this garment I made - difficult to behave when wearing it or to take it off. I imagined myself as an oil painting worker to mimic their habited motions. The garment was hanging on the ceiling by wire. As I walked over to take it down, I felt its weight immediately. I can do nothing but stare at the ceiling. Then, I performed three movements to show the three keywords: habitual, limited, and restricted.
Story board
Spatial Design Transformation
Precedent
Prototype
Deformation
Final Form
In this project, the fate of the individual is compared with the fate of the cultural village. I tend to explore the development of collective groups with the boundaries of the individual’s body in the performance. I chose three of my movements in the short film to develop the spacial design.
Restricted Find self-worth.
Habitual Life of oil painting worker.
Limited Struggle in the life.
"Be Framed"
The installation BE FRAMED is based on a compound model of an exhibition space to illustrate the vision of interacting with the performance of local oil painting industry history. Therefore, using rigid structure as a design concept, BE FRAMED transforms the complex history story into an immersive emotional experience. With the interweaving light of brightness and darkness, an experiential field of desire and illusion is formed, attracting the audience.
I choose this model for further development because it remains in the shape of sleeves as the basic design element. The dark translucent material gives the installation a sense of deepness. The polycarbonate sheet would be a suitable material for building the installation. It is lightweight and also durable.
Watch the live performance created by the artists based on the story of Dafen oil painting village.
Touch and feel the masterpiece brushstroke.
Hear the sound of workers’ painting when drawing the masterpiece copy.
Material
Polycarbonate Sheet
Dimensions
Front View
Top View
Side View