Regarding (Twelve Square Meters)' Personal Story
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Date
6-1994
Format
Essay
City
Beijing, China
Description
In this personal statement, Zhang talks about how he draws the most inspiration from the simplest and most ignored parts of life (talking on the couch, smoking, resting in bed, working, eating, defecating, etc.). He considers these universal moments to be the real human spiritual problems, the closest to people. By analyzing these moments, people can begin to discover the relationship between people and the living environment. The artist then goes on to describe how the idea for 'Twelve Square Meters' came from the moment he tried to find a bathroom on a hot afternoon in Beijing East Village and could only find ones impossible to stand in. He tried to bike to another restroom in the village and was bombarded by thousands of flies the moment he entered. He could only endure the experience for a moment. This is where the idea for 'Twelve Square Meters' came from. In his statement, Zhang says that there is an unpredictable and extremely essential process that follows the idea. Only after the project is completed does he understand the idea and has gained a new experience. This is the time where he truly experiences the spirit of the work. He ends his personal statement by saying that he chooses to focus on the experience of people in the most essential way and hates the performance element of his work. (Nicole Wang '26).
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