Blue Line: A Journey of Reawakening

Blue Line: A Journey of Reawakening

Artist: Yanmei Jiang

This performance is inspired by this historical former military officer’s house on Governors Island. The building has lost its original purpose as a home and has been turned into artists’ studios. It no longer has running water, a kitchen, or a bathroom. It feels like an empty shell that has lost its life.

In my studio, underneath my painting Water Mountain, I begin by painting a blue line. The blue line is like a river flowing out of Water Mountain. It slowly winds its way from the second floor, through the building, and out onto the grass. On the grass, I continue the performance by creating a live painting called Lake using blue paint and water.

Sound is also an important part of the work. As the blue river moves from inside the house to the outside, the repeated sound of metal striking fades away. It is replaced by the ambient sounds of the environment, people talking, cars passing by, and helicopters overhead.

The whole performance is like a ritual. I use the repeated sound of metal striking and body movement to break the silence of the house and to awaken the energy that has been lying still.

这个行为作品的灵感来源于总督岛这座前军官住宅的历史建筑。这栋建筑已经失去了它作为居所的原有功能，被改造成艺术家的工作室。这里没有自来水、厨房和卫生间，它就像一个失去生命的空壳。

在我的工作室里，在我的作品《Water Mountain》下方，我开始画出一条蓝色的线。这条蓝线仿佛是一条从《Water Mountain》中流出的河流，缓缓蜿蜒，从二楼到一楼，一直延伸到室外的草地。在草地上，我继续这个行为过程，用蓝色颜料和水现场创作一幅名为《Lake》的绘画。

声音也是这件作品的重要组成部分。当蓝色的河流从室内流向室外时，重复的金属敲击声逐渐消失，取而代之的是环境中的声音：人们交谈、车辆经过，以及头顶飞过的直升机声。

整个行为过程就像一场仪式。我通过重复的金属敲击声和身体动作，打破房子的寂静，唤醒这座建筑沉睡已久的能量。