Jian: From a beam of moonlight to openings of imagination

Abstract

Initially motivated by the inquiry and seeking of the invisible and immaterial aspects of daily life, this study presents multiple interpretations, refractions, and the philosophy behind the Chinese character 間(jian) from the points of art-making and art experience rather than seeking for a precise definition or a reductive explanation.

Being based on the practices that aimed to embody and convey the unperceived “in-between” existence and connotations of jian through visual or multi-sensory methods, this thesis mainly positions itself in the interactions and interrelationships between art practices and the related discourses on classical Chinese philosophical theories, tracing the underlying parallels between the practice, experience of art, and the malleable features of jian.

Bearing a double property as a gerund — a noun formed from a verb, or a verb which functions as a noun — in art context, jian can refer to a “gap”, a “missing link”, or an experiential place between the art piece and audience when it is understood as a noun; while it is conceived as a verb, it then implies the mind’s act of perceiving or filling that “gap”. Additionally, such a gap space is potentially realized and fulfilled by the artist and participator together, mutually weaving a limitless aesthetical dialogue or conversation between the work and participator. Therefore, not merely being a reflection and projection of ancient Chinese notions of time and space, jian can assume the role as mental or spiritual sustenance as might indeed certain forms of contemporary art.