Shu Mei Chan: If By Chance, A Rock

May 23rd - Jun 29th, 2008

Artist Statement

One of the most intriguing inventions of humankind is the notion of permanence. Whether this idea takes the form of an address, relationship, material, art object, ritual, theory, law or god, I believe that it serves us in a fundamental way, both practically and existentially. I am drawn to ceramics because it embodies the desire to make permanent something ever-changing. As an installation artist, however, I am not concerned with creating permanent objects for possession. I create tenuous moments of coalesced forms, materials, images, sound and physical/bodily movement that expose our nerve endings to the fragility and power of being sentient and imaginative creatures.

Rocks are icons of solidity – the epitome of permanence and the antithesis of human mortality and whimsy. We have used and still use them to measure time, build walls, make tools, mark graves, form roads, conduct electric signals, you name it. Inarguably, they have had a profound role in our lives, yet their ubiquity renders them invisible. I am drawn to the unassuming quietness of rocks. With the use of Bluetooth wireless technology, this time-based and interactive piece will play with these assumptions and probe the inner secrets of "rocks".