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THE SUBMERGED SKYLIGHT-TOONO
BY CHAOLUN BAATAR 2003 NYC
After a test of the "Skylight and the Great Western Ocean" on
the American eastern seaboard, my infatuation with large scale
earth art (also known as landscape art) grew even more intense;
This spurred my steadfast conviction to complete a second project,
"The Skylight of Fire," (a video of "The Skylight of Fire" has
already been completed in the northern part of the Inner Mongolian
steppe and at present is on exhibit in New York; please see the
videotape).
The fruition of this landscape art reflect my long-cherished wish
of several years. I synthesized the concepts of action, expression
and method by making up my mind then changing it, remodeling according
to the appearance of the location, and so on. During the exhibition
many people asked me, "Why do you use fire and water as your medium
and discontinue expressing your thoughts on canvas?" I answered
this kind of question with only four words, "I wanted the challenge."
As to the inquiry into what is art, it holds no fascination for
me. It is because the small scale world of traditional painting
cannot contain my creative concept.
Although I don't want to stop continuing to explore painting on
canvas, still, my creative focus lately has gradually been turning
towards using large natural things as my medium as well as making
extensive use of modern methods to express my creative concepts.
Also it promotes public participation, the personal satisfaction
of first-hand experience, allows those who participate to reach
a sincere appreciation for art, and offers everyone the chance
to enjoy the instinctive happiness and the fullness of spirit
that comes from creation. Because of this, right now I am preparing
a very big installment for 2004 called "The Submerged Skylight"
to be held on the ocean beach of the American eastern ocean.
On the beach at that time, together with the people who come,
together we'll use sand as material to make a huge skylight, have
those who participate lie down in the sand and let the ocean water
cover a skylight made of human bodies. Then we will wait and watch
for the wonderful time when the ocean tide submerges the skylight.
This public performance, requiring the use of many professional
standard movie cameras, will shoot-with telephoto lenses at many
different angles-how the sea water brings sediment and rinses
over the people's bodies and then at last the whole process of
covering the skylight.
The best place for this plan is the beach of the U.S. State, Hawaii.
Also acceptable for doing this would be the beach at Taiwan or
Sanya beach on the mainland. At the same time, we will cooperate
in building a multi-faceted authentic Mongolian ger and screen
and at an evening show "The Skylight of Fire," which is the first
part of "Skylight and the Horizon." Moreover, I plan to invite
traditional Mongolian singers and dancers from around the world
to perform with those who earlier participated against the backdrop
of the huge screen together in a grand occasion. The entire series
of my "Skylight and the Horizon" installments actually are one
old style Mongolian ger. Inside it will be many modern video images
and music composed to simulate nature to attract people's attention.
This multi-faceted old style Mongolian ger could be described
as a portable museum. Its contents will embody in one series all
of the legendary stories related to the Mongolian people, the
concepts the people consider spiritually edifying and so on. In
order to project the theme of this "The Skylight and the Horizon"
exhibition, which is the circle of the Skylight and the Mongolian
ger, I will, for the express purpose of linking these two, provide
well-known symbols or properties related to the circle-for example,
the compass, old clocks, the rudder, the symbol of Mercedes Benz
and modern technological products such as the laser disk, VCD
and DVD, which everybody is familiar with. Furthermore, I will
make an inquiry into our movement in space and compare the mystery
of the circle existing eternally in time and space with the aesthetics
of the skylight. As to these previously mentioned props it will
be necessary to spend a certain amount of time to go and collect
them and make a model.
I am positive it will be very well received in both Taiwan and Shanghai.
The Exhibition and performance will be supported by the CB-Art Foundation
New York City. www.chaolun.com
A
wild installations for my Mother Tree-Haiishu
during my visit to Inner Mongolia, 08/26/03
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