Shijia Zhang
Daydream
How long will she be asleep? She is approaching colorless dream
Does anyone want to wake her up? Tell her not to open the eyes
Look at the sunlight outside the window, having no a nuisance
The construction of the cold, even the music becomes harsh
Let’s falling into an blindy, deficient, empty, silent box
We drown into the deep of the river, do not clutch at a straw.
The main goal of this art installation is to raise awareness of sexual violence and reduce blame for the victims. The human mind needs to help each other, the power of communication is to infiltrate these things, therefore the new leaves can grow.
My final degree show work is a combination of video and installation. The baby crib is the symbol of innocence, ready to hatch into the world. There is a separate stand next to the crib, what hangs on the stand is the baby mobile, it represents the obscure adult’s worldview. And the video on the wall shows children's perspective, they suppose to be nothing but a white paper. It's important for adults to set up correct world outlook and resist bad phenomenon in moral sphere.
Research
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller
My current social concern is child sexual abuse. Children are our future who should be well protected, but the real truth hurts us deeply. If our next generation cannot see the bright side of their future, then what kind of abyss are we going to fall into? Every time such cases of child sexual assault are exposed by the media, it will naturally arouse public indignation.
People seems to care about who is the criminal and how sensational crimes are committed. But people’s memory will fade with the passage of time. Most of the time, on one asked what happened to the injured children. Some might say a one-time invasion will not ruin your life, but secondary damage can cause permanent damage.
Angels Wears White, 2017
For instance, in movie Angels Wears White, the little girl Wen’s mother accused her of wearing inappropriate clothes and cut off her long hair after she was sexually assaulted. The director said people especially likes to add adjectives "dirty" to girls, but on one is dirty in her eyes. That’s why she named the movie angels wears white (more info).
Angels Wears White, 2017
Zhang Beichuan, a Chinese scholar who is engaged in homosexuality research, he once said, “In our sex culture, treat fertility as a sexual purpose, take ignorance as purity, take folly for virtue, and use prejudice as principle.” Shame and virginity are the product of the adult world. Anxiety and pain are also transmitted from the adult to children.
Angels Wears White, 2017
“What were you wearing?” “Why you and not someone else?” These are questions that are often asked with blame and implication to the victim. It seems that if they weren't so exposed and sexy, they’d be protected from misfortune.
The art exhibition What Were You Wearing is art exhibit based on student-survivor descriptions of the clothes they were wearing during their sexual assault. Behind each piece of clothing is the story of a victim.
"My favorite yellow shirt, but I don't remember what pants I was wearing. I remember being so confused and just wanting to leave my brother's room and go back to watching my cartoons."
“A sun dress. Months later, my mother would stand in front of my closet and complain about how I never wore any of dresses anymore. I was six years old.”
“(1) Jeans and a t-shirt at 18-years old. (2) Children’s dress by my cousin’s father at 5 years old. (3) Dress – I thought I was safe with a woman but woke up to her raping me, too.”
What were you wearing? #1
What were you wearing? #2
What were you wearing? #3
Timeline
April 12: I noticed one Chinese lawyer Bao Yuming sexually abusing his foster daughter since she was fourteen, this news attracting widespread attention in China.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/13/world/asia/china-metoo.html
April 13-20: Set the direction of research → child sexual abuse
According to RAINN organization, “Every 9 minutes, child protective services substantiates, or finds evidence for, a claim of child sexual abuse.”
May: preparation of materials, everything needs to be bought online
material list: Baby crib
Baby mobile, stand
DIY package
Sex toys
total budget: around 300 pounds
June: Collect and collate information for web folio