Speak of Tides

Project in an Art Residency

This installation was crafted specifically for the 2024 Aranya Theater Festival - Migratory Birds 300, held from June 18th to June 30th. Situated on Aranya Beach in China, the work captivated over 300,000 offline viewers and garnered an impressive 500,000 views on online social platforms.

tourists are taking pictures with the work

Concept

Drawing inspiration from the natural environment of the residency at Aranya Beach, the installation explores the concept of "ocean."

In the ocean, many stories intertwine women and marine life. In Indian, African, and Pacific Island cultures, the conch symbolizes fertility, wealth, and female energy, serving as an important ritual tool for summoning communities, announcing significant events, or declaring wars. However, these powers, when transferred to women, often fell short in empowering them.

Moreover, fairy wife stories are narratives constructed by patriarchy through marine elements. In the Chinese fairy tale "The Cowherd and the Weaver Maid," the Weaver Maid's clothes are stolen by the Cowherd while she bathes, compelling her to marry him. Similarly, in "Conch Girl," a man hides the Conch Girl's shell, preventing her from returning to the ocean and forcing her to live as a normal woman. Western culture has a parallel in the Selkie story, where a fisherman hides the Selkie's seal skin, trapping her on land and compelling her to marry him and bear children.

In these narratives, women are often portrayed passively, their fates dictated by external artifacts and men. Like the Conch Girl, whose destiny is controlled by her shell rather than her will, women’s sexuality, power, and intelligence, when not serving their families and spouses, are deemed dangerous and heretical, as seen with sirens and sea witches.

Based on this research, “Speak of Tides” seeks to challenge and rewrite conventional mythological narratives surrounding women under patriarchal norms. Drawing from both Chinese and Western folklore, the work questions the passive roles imposed on women in these tales. It posits a critical question: Are the artifacts restrictive shackles that mold and constrain women's identities, or are they sanctuaries that shield and empower them?

3D modeling of Speak of Tides

Shuo Phoebe in the studio with the work

Performance

The performance depicts the transition from a submissive to an authentic self, illustrating the struggle and liberation of women freed from the constraints of an imposed identity.

Using strips of cloth and conch as visual symbols, this performance explores how society shapes and disciplines female identity and the roles women assume. The cloth strips represent strict restrictions on female behavior and nature, while the conch symbolizes traditional gender role expectations. In the first half of the performance, dancers wrap themselves in cloth strips attached to the work, dancing inside the conch covered by a mesh. The inclusion of couple dance further explores how women internalize the shackles imposed on them in a patriarchal society, emphasizing the dual disciplines between women and men, and women and women. In the latter half, the dancers interact and gradually break through these restrictions, following the rhythm of the music, representing the evolution towards freedom and true self when women redefine their positions.

screenshot from the video

Collaborations

Situated on Aranya Beach, "Speak of Tides" involved several collaborative performances with artists from diverse mediums, including body performance, experimental music, violin, clarinet, glass burning shows, and drawing. These collaborations infused the work with innovative elements and broadened its artistic scope.

The details of each performance are listed below: