Art exists in the subtle space between reality and fiction, separated by just a “skin membrane.” Derived from the “Xu Shi Pi Mo” theory by the renowned dramatist of the Edo period, Chikamatsu Monzaemon, who is acclaimed as the “Shakespeare of Japan,” this concept reflects his fascination with the delicate balance between void and reality. Born in China and based in London, the interdisciplinary artist and writer Junshu Gu is an avid adherent of this theory, which deeply influences her artistic exploration.
Unlike most artists who adhere to traditional art training, Junshu Gu embarked on her artistic journey following a rich career as a cultural journalist and critic, navigating the realms of film, music, and contemporary art. This extensive knowledge and diverse experiences have endowed her with a unique perspective on the world, enabling her to engage with it in distinctive ways. Seeking a more personal mode of expression beyond the third-person perspective, she discovered her voice as an artist, eager to express herself subjectively.
Borrowing from the vocabulary of New Wave film, the anti-novel, and minimal music, Junshu’s concerns repeatedly revolve around questions of pessoptimism, social anxiety, and the hidden initiative in chaos. She creates a sense of off-kilter rhythm where solid and amorphous energy collide. Her practice incorporates painting, sculpture, and time-based media, appearing minimal and abstract, yet formally lithesome and precise.
Known for her erudition, Junshu Gu often draws on frequently used phrases or quotes from notable figures as titles, blending sharp critique with humour, hidden within layered narratives. A prime example is her multimedia project I Hope This Finds You Well, which reflects on contemporary anxieties. This common email greeting is typically followed by stressful and unresolved issues, serving as the starting point for this work. After experimenting with various mediums, such as water drops, dice, and emojis, the huge, mirrored balloon, standing at the same height (164cm) as the artist, ultimately became the symbolic representation of anxiety. She lived with this large object in her apartment for 42 days, daily documenting her interaction with this embodiment of anxiety through her camera, reflecting on her experiences. This narrative structure evokes the conceptual works of Sophie Calle.
In tandem with her daily records, Junshu photographed the balloon in a white space, capturing her anxiety in a series of ID photos: inflated, folded, whole, and detailed. Each form created a musical rhythm, with shadows replaced by three distorted faces. The minimalist and surreal compositions are visual embodiments of the “Xu Shi Pi Mo” theory. “What we have face to face with us, our stature, our face, our pair of eyes, allows there to emerge the dimension of our own look and the value of the image then begins to change especially if there is a moment at which this look which appears in the mirror begins to look no longer at ourselves, initium, aura, the dawning of a feeling of strangeness which opens the door to anxiety.” Lacan’s discussion of mirrors and anxiety in Le Séminaire. Livre IV La Relation d’objet (1956-1957) extends the context of this work. As a crucial part of the narrative, the photos will eventually be meticulously folded into envelopes and dispatched. The tangible, stamped, and sealed letters perfectly echo the title and the starting point of the project.
After two years of in-depth study in Contemporary Art Practice at the Royal College of Art, Junshu strives to address the allegorical narrative potential that arises from the edge of chaos in the real world, aiming to examine the absence of the female flâneur and the glass ceiling for women in contemporary discourse. She has exhibited at various venues in London and internationally. Also, her moving image work All Truly Great Thoughts Are Conceived While Walking, But… has received numerous awards from various film festivals around the world.
This project is dedicated to the female flâneur who, despite apprehension and having experienced the limitations imposed by society on femininity, possesses the strength to venture from A Room of One’s Own into the darkness, into the public sphere, engaging with urban spaces. Through a non-linear narrative, following the rhythm of Virginia Woolf’s Street Haunting, the video shares thoughts on the coexistence of resilience and vulnerability, a unique and feminine way of accumulating experiences. Her works always contain various entry points, allowing different audiences to engage with and understand her work from any angle. Interestingly, the length of this work is 4’33”, reflecting Junshu’s questioning of the absence of the female flâneur in contemporary discourse through the silent concept borrowed from John Cage’s work. This ingenious design showcases her ability to translate her knowledge into her visual language.
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