Tianyu Qiu

The work presented in my thesis exhibition is called Jungle. It is constructed primarily with steel and some hardwood materials such as walnut, cherry, maple and pine. These construction materials build a designed living environment, where plants and organic forms are controlled in their own world. I also designed a virtual space with a similar structure, projected on the bonsai tree, creating the illusion of going through infinite virtual space. The coexistence of the physical space and virtual space proposes a new set of questions about contemporary living environments. The elements of the structure are not permanently attached to one another; instead, they balance one another. In a way, the self-sustaining system stands because all parts are dependent upon one another. The structure itself proposes a non-hegemonic space, which reinforces the idea of heterotopia. Each element has a specific function, which is happening in the moment that it becomes a part of the Jungle. The piece reflects and questions the existing phenomenon of our built environment, in which every single piece of nature is manipulated by human beings and represented in a controlled form. In Glass Shaped, a solo exhibition with public installation and performance, the window glass is a barrier between the street and the exhibition. As a living diorama, it presents the installation as a performance, with the public as its audience.