创作自述及背后的故事
项目最初起源于一次意外的发现。我在尼康店等待取相机时与店员交流作品。店员指出我作品呈现出的故事感。这像是一颗种子，让我开始重新回顾我的所有作品。在再次整理翻阅时，我意识到，我的一部分照片呈现出某一种共性，即在于对孤独感的捕捉与再现，让这一抽象的感受得以具象地显化。于是我把它们都摘选了出来，作为对我过往摄影的某种回顾。而对于拍摄下这些情绪，对于我来说几乎是一种无意识的行为。
孤独的体验具有普世意义，却又在每个人的身上独一无二。我想这些捕捉的瞬间或许可以激起某些内在的共鸣。我希望观者能够通过这些影像，重新审视孤独，将其视作一种与自我对话的机会，一种与内心深处连接的纽带。我想和观众一起去探索思考，孤独对于我们的意义。例如：孤独一定是负面的吗？为什么我们害怕孤独？当我在回顾这些作品的时候，尽管拍摄下的是孤独感，但是我感受到的不是悲伤。对我来说，孤独并非消极，它是一种富有深度的体验。
于是我想到了首先尝试用展览的形式，作为一个媒介来搭建起和观众沟通交流的桥梁。或许在这些孤独的画面里，你会找到共鸣，找到内心的宁静与力量。
我很快就想到了Solitude作为展览的英文名。一个是照片给我的直觉性联想，一个是因为它的含义，另一个是因为它充满节律的读音。但我久久没有思索出对应的中文翻译。直译为孤独似乎从含义的角度，容易直接消解我想表达的背后含义，即我想表达远不止于可能负面的联想。孤独对于我来说，像是空气稀薄的破晓时分，马上会迎来黎明的希望感。这种感受是清冷但积极的。它与孤单、与寂寞还是不同的。2月的一个暖阳满满的下午，我和友人S在上海的法租界扫街拍摄。日落时分，阳光带来的温暖在逐渐消散，让人从暖色调联想起冷色调。而我们在街边发现了蓝色外部装饰的女性主义书店Paper Moon。而店里的暖光与蓝色外饰形成对照，放佛就像是某种程度上的孤独呈现——它在吸引我去探索。或许是宇宙听到了我的思考，离开书店时我看到了伊丽莎白·毕肖普的诗选《唯有孤独恒常如新 》。这也启发了我展览中文名的选择：孤独，恒常如新。因为孤独的确是无处不在，这是一种共享却又独特、私密却又普遍的经验，它似乎恒久存在，却又在每个人身上略有不同，每个人的体验与感受都是对孤独的一次全新阐释与解读。
这个展览对我来说，观众不仅是观展人也是参与者、共创者。因为孤独的体验太普遍了。每个人都或多或少经历过。因此，除了邀请观众与我一同思考，我也想邀请观众和我分享。可以是他们看展的感受、他们人生经历中所感到的孤独、和孤独有关的故事、又或者是他们是如何面对孤独的——一切和孤独相关的都欢迎分享，无论是文字、还是照片（例如相册中最令人感到最孤独的照片、例如一个人感到最孤独的时刻等等）。我希望通过这样的方式和观众产生联结，从而也消解彼此一部分的孤独感、重新发现孤独的意义。
回到展览
The project originated from a serendipitous discovery. While waiting to pick up my camera at a Nikon store, I engaged in a conversation with one of the staff members about my work. The staff member pointed out the narrative quality present in my pieces. This was like a seed that prompted me to revisit all of my works. Upon reexamining and sorting through them, I realized that a portion of my photographs conveyed a commonality - the capture and representation of solitude, allowing this abstract emotion to manifest tangibly. Thus, I curated them all, serving as a retrospective of my past photography. As for capturing these emotions through photography, it was almost an unconscious act for me.
The experience of solitude holds a universal significance, yet it manifests uniquely in each individual. I believe these captured moments may evoke certain internal resonances. I hope viewers can, through these images, reconsider solitude as an opportunity for self-reflection, a connection to the depths of one's inner being. I want to explore with the audience the meaning of solitude, to ponder questions such as: Is solitude always negative? Why do we fear solitude? When I review these works, despite capturing a sense of solitude, what I feel is not loneliness. For me, solitude is not necessarily negative; it is a profoundly enriching experience.
Therefore, I thought of initially attempting to communicate with the audience through an exhibition format, as a medium to build a bridge for communication and exchange. Perhaps within these solitary images, you will find resonance, discovering inner peace and resilience.
I quickly thought of "Solitude" as the English title for the exhibition. One reason is the intuitive association the photos evoke in me, while another is the meaning behind it, and the rhythmic pronunciation. However, I struggled to find a corresponding translation in Chinese. A direct translation seemed to undermine the deeper meaning I wanted to convey, as I aimed to express more than just potential negative associations. For me, solitude is like the thin air at dawn, just before the hope of dawn arrives. It is a chilly yet affirmative feeling, distinct from loneliness. One sunny afternoon in February, my friend S and I were wandering and shooting in the French Concession of Shanghai. As the sun set, the warmth it brought gradually dissipated, transitioning from warm tones to cool ones. We stumbled upon Paper Moon, a feminist bookstore with blue exterior decorations. The warm light inside the store contrasted with the blue exterior, resembling a presentation of solitude to some extent—it attracted me to explore further. Perhaps the universe heard my contemplation, as I stumbled upon a selection of Elizabeth Bishop's poetry 'The Complete Poems: 1927-1979.' upon leaving the bookstore. The Chinese title of the poetry collection deeply inspired me and served as an explanation for the Chinese title of my exhibition. For solitude truly pervades everywhere, it is a shared yet unique, intimate yet universal experience. The sense of solitude seems enduring, yet slightly different in each individual, with each person's experience and perception offering a fresh interpretation and understanding of solitude.
This exhibition, to me, sees the audience not only as spectators but also as participants and co-creators. Because the experience of solitude is so universal. Everyone has experienced it to some extent. Therefore, in addition to inviting the audience to contemplate with me, I also want to invite them to share with me. It could be their feelings about the exhibition, the solitude they have felt in their life experiences, stories related to solitude, or how they have faced solitude — anything related to solitude is welcome to share, whether it's words or photos (such as the loneliest photo in their album, or the loneliest moment a person has felt, etc.). I hope to establish a connection with the audience in this way, thereby dissipating some of each other's sense of solitude and rediscovering the meaning of it.
Back to the Exhibition
