PROJECT

Lan Hsin, Tu sees textile not only as materiality but also as an emotional extension of her body. Her move to the Netherlands from Taiwan came with a lot of cultural differences and language barriers. Her creations have become her shelter that have allowed her to speak out about the vulnerability, loneliness, and struggles that she has experienced. She transforms those uncertain feelings into layers-layers of textile sculptures, covering most parts of her body. In the meantime, the textile’s tenderness and firmness caress her pain.

Throughout her residency at wpZimmer, she would like to continue her research: the exploration of material culture, the relationship between bodies and wearable objects, and the thought of using the body as an interface to express emotion. Her artistic practice will be executed through a series of photography, performance, drawings, and wearable sculptures.

To her, the body is the artistic material, it employs space as a vehicle, and intertwines activities together.

“Nakedness expresses our emotions and state of being in a very plain way. Our skin is the first layer of clothes we wear. Exposing our skin is an honest moment to face ourselves. The body becomes an interface to speak freely about their own feelings. I want to explore the body in various situations and how the body performs related to those circumstances.”

Lan Hsin, Tu will develop wearable sculptures into functional objects through the exploration of body perception. For example, the object can be a table that allows people to sit around, wear as well as interact with in many different ways. “I will experiment with multiple materials for creating the sculptures. The development of wearable sculptures will help me experiment with different types of performances by exploring the relationship between human bodies, objects and space further, and bring a novel form and meaning.”