Facing the world disorder, we have developed a new daily regime. No matter how much we long for fresh air, we put on a mask and keep our inhalation and exhalation inside it. Over time, we become as oxygen deprived as if we were hyperventilating. Then we find a corner with nobody else, so that we can temporarily enjoy a few breaths of fresh air. During these lockdown days, I wanted to hide my hollow eyes and tired smile by not showing my face to others for a while. So, I locked myself at home to observe certain collective social behaviors.
“Longing for normalcy” and “far-end gatherings” are the “new house rules” emerged while I placed the in-house me into the context of the collective social phenomena. Animals didn’t get infected, so they replaced humans and were wandering around. The dining table, which could no longer be shared with others, eventually became a stage for self-appreciation. The captive guinea pigs were living in separated floors to maintain a safe social distance. When I looked at myself in the mirror, the apparently polite expressions were a patchwork. Gradually, there were more murmuring voices in the daily atmosphere. I planned to hide these unsettling emotions in certain corner, but they didn 't disappear. They were just temporarily shelved, as a kind of escape. I juxtaposed many extreme images in a composition, and for the time being, there is no exit. So, I am just spinning around in these imaginary environments of home. Perhaps we can still breathe the thin oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide for a while and continue to pretend to be normal until it is so. However, the world may never return to the way we know it. Before we are forced to a restricted new mode of existence, I 'm still playing the role who resists hyperventilating in the mirror, not willing to show the face to others, to build a safe home with sufficient oxygen.
