About

Experience is the direct encounter with pure 'reality,' unfiltered by textual interpretation or the distortions of symbolic thought. It is reality as it is, not as it is reported. The purpose of this paper is to articulate the process of artistic thinking and presentation rather than to impose additional interpretations.

In Moment, a large-scale installation by artists Luo Mengmeng and Liang Xinghao, the boundaries between architectural space and sculpture are intentionally blurred. Based on the anticipated trajectory of the viewer’s movement, the artists transform the gallery's staircase into an accessible cinematic structure—simultaneously a functional building and a monumental sculptural form within the exhibition. As visitors ascend the stairs and glance back or upwards, they experience the sensation of emerging from an enigmatic container or a towering ridge. Before them lies a blank gallery, while behind them, a sound-emitting architectural 'mouthpiece' invites them into yet another liminal space. This journey leads the audience from one 'mouthpiece' to another, transitioning from the ground floor to the second level. Upon reaching the first floor, viewers encounter two blue, 45-degree-tilted openings emitting low-frequency sounds, seemingly inviting them to make a choice—whether to enter or not.

Some audience members, responding to this auditory invitation, step into a narrow blue corridor through two separate entrances on the left and right. At both ends of the passage, low-frequency sound units embedded in the walls create a progressively intensifying pitch. The deep vibrations seem to urge forward movement, reverberating through the walls with an almost percussive force. At the far end of the corridor, a red glow emerges subtly seductive yet enigmatic presence. As the two streams of visitors converge at the passage’s end, they find themselves facing small windows of varying heights, radiating an intense red light. These openings, merely 20 cm in length, permit only glimpses inside.

Peering through these apertures, whether by crouching or bending slightly, viewers discover an uncanny interior: a red-illuminated cinema. Traditional cinema chairs are neatly arranged, yet the room lacks any visible entrance or exit. Strangely, unlike conventional cinematic experiences where the audience faces a screen, here, the chairs are turned towards the observers in the tunnel. The expected relationship between viewer and viewed is inverted—suddenly, the audience is not merely a spectator but a performer, poised as if awaiting their cue to step onto a stage. At the far end of the cinema, a small opening mimic the window before them, resembling a film projector’s aperture. This opening leads to the exterior exhibition space, suggesting another layer of interconnection. A visitor who refrains from entering the tunnel and instead explores the building’s exterior might stumble upon a hidden opening at the back, offering a clandestine view into the cinema. There, they would encounter not just the cinematic interior but also the gaze of those peering from the opposite side—a recursive interplay of seeing and being seen.

In this work, the cinema is rendered an inaccessible space, positioning the viewer behind the screen, confronting the unknown. Narrow corridors, dim lighting, and unsettling sounds transform the viewing experience into a performative and spatial event. Through meticulous artistic intervention, wood paneling is reimagined as vast expanses of rusted, peeling metal, merging seamlessly with the gallery’s staircase. The installation’s scale varies dramatically, from an entrance as low as 2.2 meters to a peak height of 5 meters, creating an immersive, sunken structure that extends into infinity.

At this point, silence dominates, for no human language or conceptual framework can fully encapsulate the experience. This realm is one of paradox and negational contradiction beyond resolution. As Ramana Maharshi observed, the Self, as pure Consciousness, is the ultimate observer. Everything else—self-esteem, spirit, body—exists only as its objective manifestation. Beyond the Self, no entity can claim the status of a true 'viewer.' The 'ego,' being neither objectifiable nor externally knowable, stands as the observer of all else. Yet, under the scrutiny of the Absolute, the distinctions between subject and object dissolve. The self-cease to be either observed or observed, existing beyond duality.

“Man stands in his own shadow but wonders how it is dark around him.”

Our aim is to allow viewers to encounter their own objective reality in a certain 'absolute' space. We focus on the intersection of filmic montage and live spatial experience. The significance of these film installations extends beyond their operability or materiality; they enable cinematic elements to carry narrative and metaphorical weight, constructing their own spatial montage—a medium that unfolds through the viewer’s movement.

Since the late 20th century, following the Cold War and the rise of globalization, artists have explored themes of race, gender, and class while reconsidering the intersections of nature, art, technology, and modern life. However, as Richard Wagner lamented, in the age of reason and science, humanity has lost its reverence for nature, and the once-integrated relationship between artistic forms has fractured into isolated disciplines, striking art of its original vitality. Our work extends Wagner’s concept of Gesamtkunstwerk (the total work of art) and draws inspiration from Ilya and Emilia Kabakov’s use of spatial narratives, aiming to dissolve boundaries between visual art, music, performance, and architecture. The goal is not merely to present art but to generate an all-encompassing, 'non-art' experience that envelops the sensory system, making viewers forget they are inside a work of art.

At the same time, Gregor Schneider and Rachel Whiteread’s explorations of 'room' and 'negative space' inform our reflections on contemporary art spaces. Within the context of museums and white-cube galleries, we question whether the site itself becomes part of the artistic experience. Daniel Buren argued that the museum is an ideological construct, manifesting in all its spaces, not just in those designated for display. Building on this premise, our work seeks to emerge 'organically,' resisting passive interpretation. Rather than directing meaning, we invite viewers into a space where their movement, perception, and choices become integral to the unfolding experience.