Yunyu Zhang | “Shan Hai Jing” monsters: : Relearn & Re-create

 
Being named as “Shan Hai Jing” monsters: Relearn & Re-create, this project aims to present the monsters from the ancient Chinese classic of early Chinese geography, monsters and myths —— “Shan Hai Jing” in a more engaging and refreshing way. As a book that has been interpreted very differently throughout history, scholars and the general public have had a wide range of understandings towards the mysterious elements in the book. Simultaneously, people have also seen a great variety of creations ranging from diverse fields and forms centering “Shan Hai Jing”. In order to show the rich and inspiring possibilities the book owns as well as to help people get to know more apart from mainstream perception and general public impressions, the project combines both traditional and modern elements of “Shan Hai Jing” and adopts a more interactive way to bring the audience closer to the topic. With the project’s interface applying the style of ancient Chinese books, the audience are able to explore the “book” and decide which specific “Shan Hai Jing” monster they would like to be through choosing from different regions and animal types. Along with the original text description and relevant terms of the monster, the audience can also see their own human and “Shan Hai Jing” monster combined hybrid face, which is built upon the connections between the monsters and the animals in reality. By such a way, the project hopes to provoke thoughts about the possible paths that “Shan Hai Jing” might follow to have gradually taken shape in a dialectical perspective. What’s more, besides arousing the audience’s interests in this topic, the project attempts to take a step further to stimulate and establish the thinking mode of making connections between various works of traditional Chinese culture and to act as a starting point to motivate the public’s passion, exploration and re-examination of these works.