Laundry Lines

Rayna Li, Marco Xiao, Vivi Zhu (order by last name), Laundry Lines, 

2020

Paper, acrylic, particle board, photographs

45 x 25 x 3 cm

Our project considers the map as a general and abstract representation of physical spaces. By stripping a place of its identifying features and instead aiming for the effect of déjà vu, we highlight the commonality underscoring a series of sites that exemplify the same social phenomenon. Shanghai is a city of nuances; it allows for diverse ways of life despite the hyper-modern impression fashioned as its official narrative.

After investigating a few distinct neighborhoods following a collaboratively constructed Derive, our interest arrived at the clothesline. An unassuming and ubiquitous sight, the clothesline has grown to be a metaphoric site of contention, engendering debates surrounding urbanization and gentrification, among other things. Our work makes these issues visible through a number of carefully planned juxtapositions. Through the contrasts in color and materiality, we question the nature of the boundaries between the public and the private, as well as the ethics behind breaching these intangible spheres by various stakeholders. We see the flag book as an ideal medium for our vision. Its accordion structure — with its two-way ridges and many folds — affords us the possibility to introduce the surprising and unexpected, symbolically recreating the physical encounter of such elements while walking in the streets of Shanghai.