Portals, Hainan, China — Evian Wenyi Zhang

This is an experiment in a site-specific installation developed in response to the terrace of a typical tropical vacation apartment, where I stayed during a residency in Hainan, the southern island of China. Four portals are constructed, each illusionistically leading to an alternate universe inspired by images gathered during my stay.

The image that fills the study of form—the grid—is a photo I took of my diarrhea after my first meal upon arrival. The image holds a certain charm between the cold, textureless blue-tinted water surface (toilet cleaner) and the sharp contrast of what is soaked and floating within.

The making of these portals was my first attempt to address the meaning of repetition and the grid—how it multiplies reality and constructs a continuous, illusionary plane. It questions the grid as an efficient solution for saving mental labor, particularly in a condition where labor feels scarce relative to space. Meanwhile, it raises questions about repetition, decoration, and pattern, and their structural affinity with forms such as a trap, a net, or a cage.

During a short evening opening with friends, the work also trapped insects within a brief hour.