Whitening Event

I expressed my thoughts and emotions on environmental protection through 3D and installation work. Inspired by destructive natural forms, I made and installed an abstract image as a sculpture, especially focused on coral bleaching out of a number of environmental issues. Coral bleaching is a phenomenon in which the colourful epidermis of coral reefs gradually disappears and turns white as if only bones remain. This phenomenon is attributed to a sudden change in water temperature and is very closely related to global warming, leading to an unstable sea ecosystem. Before starting work, I did research on videos and documentaries filming coral bleaching from diverse angles and got inspired by them. We are living in an enormous nature on Earth with interaction between humans and animals. In modern society, however, our attitude and ways towards animals and nature is becoming human-centered. For our coexistence and peace, it is imperative to protect and respect the environment. I want to convey these messages and seriousness in 3D work and trigger people to realize that all natural phenomena are interconnected. As the Earth is getting warmer, its atmosphere is warmer too, affecting the ocean ecosystem. In my work, these phenomena abstractly were represented in one space to show people a condensed natural environment. The sculptures at the front are abstract representations of coral reefs where whitening occurred. I intentionally used thin wooden sticks, to express the shape of the skeletal coral. The dyed silk object at the back is an object inspired by the colours of the climate warming indicator. As the temperature rises, the temperature index also becomes redder and redder. I was inspired by the image and dyed silk using red, orange and yellow dyes. Through my work, I hope to convey messages that help audiences become more aware of environmental protection and animal conservation, and hope their little actions can make changes.