Nothing Ever Happens Here《这里很无 聊》 and Lunar Palpitations《月食心慌 》》 are video works comprising footage from a research trip taken in March 2018 to explore the areas surrounding new and proposed HSR stations. Nothing Ever Happens Here《这里 很无聊》 creates collages in physical space by bringing green screens to various sites in Hebei with current or proposed HSR stations, and inviting local residents and objects to place themselves in the speculative space of the green screen.

Lunar Palpitations《月食心 慌 》loosely depicts a dizzying pilgrimage to a sacred site of speed and rejuvenation. Sense of time distorts, and bodies hurtle forward into abysmal space. Unfilial Garden《不孝花园》 is a wall painting that reproduces background elements from educational murals seen in Xitianchi Village, Handan, Hebei. Removed from their propagandistic context, the mute landscapes unfold and invite viewers to focus on their formal and affective dimensions. These works highlight the vertigo, fantasy, and anxiety inherent in the HSR’s promises of national empowerment through speed.

Website: Sponge Gourd Collective