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The Pleasure of Fish

June 3rd, 2007

The Pleasure of Fish

installation 2007
Yuanyuan Wu

Zhuang zi, an influential Chinese philosopher, often used some fables about water to illustrate the insightful and abstract philosophic principles, helping people realize the concept of Tao and the harmony between man and the nature. There is a fable about water and fish in his writing Zhuang zi·Jiu Shui, illustrating a metaphor between human and fish, and holding that Tao to human is just like water to fish.

Zhuangzi and Huizi were strolling one day on the bridge over the river Hao, when the former observed:

” See how the minnows are darting about! Such is the pleasure that fish enjoy.”

“You are not a fish, “said Huizi, “How do you know what fish enjoy?”

“You are not I,” retorted Zhuangzi,” so how do you know that I do not know what fish enjoy?”

In the fable, Zhuang zi imagined that he were a fish enjoying the water with great pleasure. Is it possible for us to experience the same feeling as what Zhuang zi experienced? Yes, we can! My interactive work, THE PLEASURE OF FISH, will give you an experience that makes you feel relaxed and released and also will constantly arouse your imagination and sensation of being fish swimming with pleasure in the water and internalize the aesthetic connotation borne in the beautiful scenery.

quicktime video

Entry Filed under: Arts & Design