Death Has Been My Dream for a Long Time
Installation, Event & Performance Artwork, Sep 2015
Installation Materials: Salt bricks, Video
Description: According to the media report, on Jun 9, 2015, four children committed suicide in Cizhu village, Qixingguan District, Bijie, Guangzhou. Of three sisters and one brother, the older brother was 13 and the youngest sister 5. On June 12th, media revealed the oldest brother Qi Gangliu had left a suicide note. The letter said, “Thank you all for your concern. I know you mean me well. But I have to go. I promised I would not live beyond 15. Death has been my dream for a long time. Today I come clean!
I array natural salt bricks from the Himalayas along the beach in Tanggu, near Tianjin. I arrange them so that they read, “Death has been my dream for a long time”. The incoming tide quickly dissolves the bricks. The salt returns to the sea.
