Blindness
2022. 3
Installation (Blind lane bricks, stick-on tattoo)
54 cm *108 cm *9 cm
This project was started based on my observation of the relationship between the blind lane and the city. It is a unique and often overlooked passage provided for the disabled, yet it is essential for their mobility. However, during my own experience walking on a blind lane, I noticed various obstacles that impeded my progress. Intrigued by this phenomenon, I conducted extensive field research on blind lanes in my city and discovered that they are often ignored and occupied by everything except the blind.
This installation was created aiming to brings attention to this critical issue. I transferred photographs of blocked and destroyed blind lanes onto bricks to form an 'installed blind lane' to critique on the ignorance surrounding disabled facilities and the government's formalism in urban construction. This work also challenges society's perception of blind lanes and raise the importance of providing equal accessibility to all individuals.
A variety of experiments on photo transfer techniques were experimentedincluding oil wintergreen liquid, overcoating agents and dry point printing,however, these techniques were not able to integrate well with brick surfacedue to its roughness. Finally, customized stick-on tattoo was used to make thework which covered the brick surfaces with images. Different versions of imageeffects were tested out as well, including colour, black and white, and an- otherblack and white version with special processing in Photoshop to emphasizelines. The latter version was picked as it is more settled, and the images seemdissolved into the brick.
The resolved work was installed on a wall with clear background with a ‘T’shape, which took a blind lane out of its context and expose it under thespotlight, resonating blind lanes in China with the striping bricks signal forpass and dot bricks at the end signals for stop. Through installing a commonlane onto the wall without gaps, I attempt to integrate the expansiveness anddepth shown in my photographs with the flatness of the bricks. This installationexplicitly criticizes the government for turning a blind eye to the damages andoccupation of disabled facilities.
