6 Episodes, Single Channel Video, 16:9, Sound, 2min 26sec
2014
The six-episode video work Wǒ bù xiǎng jìn jiānyù consists of dialogues I recite from my exercise book after I attended Chinese lessons for a year. Each episode, I start with the sentence “Wǒ bù xiǎng jìn jiānyù” meaning, “I do not want to go to jail.” This introductory sentence is followed by basic Chinese dialogue consisting of introductions, asking directions or the time, ordering food, shopping for vegetables or clothes at a market and so on. A short moment of silence after each dialogue is followed by “Wǒ bù xiǎng qù Zhōngguó” translated as “I don´t want to go to China,” which ends the episode. The location of each video is specific to a place of personal importance at the time. A friend’s flat, my studio at university, my bed, Palast der Republik, the National Gallery and Kubus Stuttgart. I had started learning Chinese whilst facing a 5-year jail sentence. To avoid the situation, I planned my escape from the German authorities with the intention of starting a new life in China.
13.07. – 15.07.2014 Annual Exhibition 2014, States Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart, DE