2019
The Portuguese explorer Fernão Mendes Pinto mentioned Portas de Liampoo (Shuangyu Port under Ningbo Prefecture during the Ming Dynasty) several times in his autobiographical memoir Pilgrimage. The East Asian smuggling trade center of the 16th century no longer exists, while the location of the port continues to be debated among historians. As a part of my research on its orientation, I visited two islands of Zhoushan, where the islanders shared the legends about the Portuguese in the area and led me to the possible traces.
Based on a personal travelogue which is questioned for its authenticity and two folklores, this project reexamines the moment of creation, assembly and retrieval of fact through photography and performance, reflecting on the process of historical production. In the journey of proximity to the enigmatic maritime trade history, I pose the question to the probable participants—have you been here?
葡萄牙冒险家，费尔南·门德斯·平托在其自传回忆录《远游记》里曾多次提到Portas de Liampoo (明朝隶属宁波府的双屿港)。这个16 世纪的东亚走私贸易中心如今已经不复存在，而历史学界对于港口的定位一直存在争议。作为对其方位研究的一部分，我前往了两个在舟山的小岛，岛民向我讲述了在此有关葡萄牙人的传说，并带领我寻找可能的痕迹。这个项目基于一本被质疑真实性的个人游记和两段民间传说的口述，通过摄影和行为重新审视事实的创造、组装和检索的时刻，反思历史的生产过程。在尝试接近那段朦胧的海上贸易史的想象中，我向可能的参与对象发问——你们来过这里吗？
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Have You Been Here, archival inkjet prints (framed), 2019
installation view from “Rebuild Conception” group show at L.A.P Gallery, Wuhan, CN
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Have You Been Here, three-channel HD video (color, sound), 13’55’’, 2019
installation view from “Arrival” group show at Sol Koffler Gallery, Providence, RI
The Portuguese explorer Fernão Mendes Pinto mentioned Portas de Liampoo (Shuangyu Port under Ningbo Prefecture during the Ming Dynasty) several times in his autobiographical memoir Pilgrimage. The East Asian smuggling trade center of the 16th century no longer exists, while the location of the port continues to be debated among historians. As a part of my research on its orientation, I visited two islands of Zhoushan, where the islanders shared the legends about the Portuguese in the area and led me to the possible traces.
Based on a personal travelogue which is questioned for its authenticity and two folklores, this project reexamines the moment of creation, assembly and retrieval of fact through photography and performance, reflecting on the process of historical production. In the journey of proximity to the enigmatic maritime trade history, I pose the question to the probable participants—have you been here?
葡萄牙冒险家，费尔南·门德斯·平托在其自传回忆录《远游记》里曾多次提到Portas de Liampoo (明朝隶属宁波府的双屿港)。这个16 世纪的东亚走私贸易中心如今已经不复存在，而历史学界对于港口的定位一直存在争议。作为对其方位研究的一部分，我前往了两个在舟山的小岛，岛民向我讲述了在此有关葡萄牙人的传说，并带领我寻找可能的痕迹。这个项目基于一本被质疑真实性的个人游记和两段民间传说的口述，通过摄影和行为重新审视事实的创造、组装和检索的时刻，反思历史的生产过程。在尝试接近那段朦胧的海上贸易史的想象中，我向可能的参与对象发问——你们来过这里吗？
Have You Been Here, archival inkjet prints (framed), 2019
installation view from “Rebuild Conception” group show at L.A.P Gallery, Wuhan, CN
Have You Been Here, three-channel HD video (color, sound), 13’55’’, 2019
installation view from “Arrival” group show at Sol Koffler Gallery, Providence, RI