Smoke and Fire is an experimental work created in 2025. When I returned home to celebrate the Chinese New Year, I discovered that in many neighborhoods of my city it was forbidden to set off fireworks and to perform fire ritual practices honoring the deceased. Both of these traditions have a millennia-long history and hold deep significance for Chinese people.
However, the loud police announcements did not stop these practices. It seemed as if the space we inhabit were divided into three dimensions: heaven, the human world, and the underground. While loudspeakers mechanically broadcast the authorities’ orders, citizens attempted to reclaim their own space — with louder fireworks exploding in the sky and silent rituals sending their thoughts to the spirits dwelling beneath the earth.
