"Beyond Architecture - Wengding’s Silent Rebellion Against Commercialisation"
Section MS10, Freya Spencer-Wood
Keywords: landscape, performance, set design
Wengding Village is home to one of the few remaining indigenous tribes in China (Mengjiao Township, Cangyuan County, Lincang City, Yunnan Province, China). The project reflects on how the Wending community has been affected by accelerating tourism and as a result have been forced to abandon traditions, whilst being subject to the commercialisation of the landscape.
The project documents and responds to the challenges faced by Wengding Village. The installation references construction patterns of local buildings and reflects on community displacement. Construction patterns and materials derive from the landscape. The installation is interactive and invites audience participation: it rotates while engagement with the wire structure adds a sound element to there performance.
The installation is staged on a white cardboard box, symbolising the commercialisation of the communities' land.