Who is artist Siru Wen. Share with us a few things about you and your work in general.
I was born and raised in a small town in China, near the ocean. I grew up as a quiet kid, who enjoyed spending much time watching people around me.
My work relies on this practice of observation. I investigate time and patience towards the subjects, allowing them to disclose in a slow manner. The projects evolve themselves through the process of writing and the extensive rehearsals with the performers.
The story normally starts somewhere personal to me and ends up somewhere closer to us. My video work contains mostly long takes. A sense of heaviness and openness is created by the awareness of the time passing and the lingering of the gaze. The observers are conscious of the essence and meanings of their own bodies in relation to the observed. They become part of the happening.
What was your reaction when you heard that you were awarded?
I felt very honored, simply. I wish I was there to celebrate. I spread the news to my collaborators. They were also feeling grateful.
Tell us a few words about your awarded work.
“You See the Woman” is a two-channel video installation. The work invites you to the interior, to observe and maybe attempt to understand “the woman”. In a private space, where emotions, difficulties, and vulnerability is unveiled, externalized and repeated in raw, honest but also partially concealed forms. The locations of the screens allow the audience to experience only part of the story (the woman), but not the whole (the woman) at the same time. Until the end, there’re these remnants of strangeness from the woman.
The work started with an image popped up in my head one evening – a woman smiled at me. She smiled for a long time, that was almost unbearable to watch. Then I got curious – who is the woman, what is she smiling at, what does she do, what does she want. All these questions were the starting point of creating this project.
I developed the character with my actress Grace together. She delivered an unbelievably truthful performance. My cinematographer Vittoria Campaner and production designer Hogan Lee transformed my living room into a place that was both concrete but also otherworldly. It enabled Grace to move and experience the space in an unconfined way both physically and emotionally.
What is your impression about this first Biennial in Cyprus?
The Biennale was well organized, and the committee was very welcoming. I was impressed by the quality and the varied mediums chosen by the curators. At the opening, I got to meet the other exhibited artists,
hearing the ideas behind their projects. Later at the after party, I also discovered many beautiful stories of foreign artists who came to Larnaca, fell in love with the city and the people, and decided to stay.
Tell us about your experience during your visit in Larnaca.
Larnaca reminded me of my hometown in China – the smell of the ocean, the old and tall buildings, the dirt and the sand on the roads.
I enjoyed walking in the city, getting lost and finding my way back towards the sea. The last day I took a bus to the salt lake, hoping to see the flamingos, but they didn’t show up. I was later told the weather was too hot for them. Maybe I should come back one day in the winter.
I was fortunate enough to meet Despoina, one of the local artists at the opening. She invited me to the high school she taught. I had great conversations with the students. They were full of passion. It was a very lovely experience. Oh, there I also learned how to make the Greek coffee.
A message you would like to send to artists that will apply in the future for participation in Larnaca Biennale.
Always be truthful about what you are making. Also, if you get in the Biennale, make sure you visit the city Larnaca in person, it’s worth the travel.
