︎︎︎ ﹤Verbuchstabieren Trilogy
- II. Verbuchstabieren﹥
2019
4k video, 1-channel, color, sound, 00:13:50
Verbuchstabieren - is a word created by the artist based on the
word-building in German, the implicit meaning of which reflects the influence
on Asian languages in their structure by the language of the alphabet and
points to the cultural colonial overtones behind it. In Chinese, the artist's
name “Yinglin” means crystal clear forest. But as
we can see now, the image implied in the artist's name "Yinglin" is
lost in the process of the transformation of the name by the alphabet. So the
artist used her name to create an autobiographical character-“Yinglin”- in the second part of the trilogy.
“Yinglin” wanted to live in MONDO, the world
created in the first part of the trilogy, and she prepared and submitted a lot
of applications for it. In MONDO's letter to Yinglin, there is a social
contract. Signing this contract is a prerequisite to be able to go to MONDO.
There are five clauses in this contract, which correspond to different aspects
related to "language, culture and identity". The oppression of “Yinglin's”
language and culture is evident in the social contract. By signing the social
contract, "Yinglin" are complying with the terms of the social
contract, and this also implies obedience to these terms and to these
oppressions. After signing the social contract, "Yinglin" lost her
glowing forest and became eligible to go to MONDO. At this point, “Yinglin”
begins to be accompanied by fragmentation and struggle.