A Tunnel Made Of 8,000 Rice Paper Sheets

Made of bamboo, cotton and 8,000 sheets of rice paper, Zhu Jinshi’s ‘Boat‘ is a monumental installation suspended from the ceiling and stopping just before the ground. Chinese artist used Xuan paper, a material infused with Chinese history and tradition. Encouraging the visitors to take a walk through the 12-meter installation, Jinshi not only shows a symbolic representation of a boat, but also refers to the notion of a journey. Reminiscent of a spherical tunnel, the artwork reflects Jinshi’s journey from east to west, while simultaneously paying homage to the dead’s passage from living to the afterlife. Walking through the paper tunnel becomes a spiritual experience – while the material dulls the noise and light of the outside world, the visitors start to perceive the tunnel as a representation of a boat’s journey, the drift between the cultures and worlds.

All images © Pearl Lam Galleries