The river and other things
There is no doubt that the journey we made to the river yesterday has touched upon my psyche. Yesterday we felt the affects of time spent at the river, a slight headache and nausea, perhaps caused by breathing in pollution or perhaps by the culmination of new experiences. We spoke a lot about the river yesterday evening and I dreamt about the river last night.
Something of the river lingers, the lure of water and what you discover when you get there.
I returned to the river today with a slight feeling of dread. I walked the same route as yesterday and was equally as struck with the scene that met me, a hazy expanse of grey water, sky and concrete. It’s actually very beautiful and I spent several hours recording the scene but I could not escape the overwhelming sense of a sickness that seems to inhabit everything living and growing there.
I caught a quick glimpse of some photographs Jessica took in the corridors and stairwells of 501 Artspace. Thinking back, I realise that I have no idea what Jessica was up to this morning. If I ask her tomorrow to recall, she might not exactly remember since so much happens in a day that is new and thought provoking.
During this residency there is the time we spend together and there is the time we spend with our work. It is not always easy to articulate in our daily discussions what happens during this time but it can be grasped through a quick glimpse of a photograph.
Nina Chua
November 18th
Chongqing
