Today, Tomorrow, and the Tales from the Wind 今天、明日和风中故事
Photography, Sound, and Performance
2023 - Ongoing
In the photography series, I treat images as signals, sent back and forth between my current home and the place I left behind.
I recompose photographs taken in my homeland with those captured during my stays in Finland and Iceland, re-composing them together in a way that reimagines a utopian world of dreams, hope, and human nature co-existence. Through double exposure, I merge the light of my hometown’s lighthouse with Iceland’s canyons; the city lights of my homeland encircle a boy standing in a Finnish forest; trees from my homeland are transplanted into Icelandic landscapes, barren due to deforestation and climate change, and other various photographic elements that are connected in hidden but delicate manners. The documentary nature of the images transforms into a space for imagined realities.
"Today, Tomorrow, and the Tales from the Wind" is an ongoing exploration of human-nature’s paralleled phenomena and the nomadic search for a sense of homeland. Through sound, vocal experiments, and photography, the artist expands the medium into a synesthetic and performative tool, crafting a fictional utopian reality.
The images are created by overlaying photos taken in China with those taken in Finland, Iceland, and Sweden. These visual metaphors reimagine a fragile utopia—a fable about our uncertain future and the shifting natural and political landscapes.
At its core, the project is rooted in the artist's grief over the destruction of a childhood forest in their hometown, starting when the artist left for a new country. Inspired by local stories, regional heritage, and myths, the work reflects the artist’s migrating journey and living experiences across different countries, reimagining personal and collective narratives into a broader reflection on deforestation and other ecological degradation issues associated with loss, migration, and belonging.
Listen to the Sound Art Album “Today, Tomorrow, and the Tales from the Wind”
Boy, Forest, and the City Lights
Ancient Stone, Snowy Forest, and the Pattern of the Frozen Sea
For example, in the piece titled "Ancient Stone, Snowy Forest, and the Pattern of the Frozen Sea," the "frozen sea" symbolizes the transient nature of our environment. I overlap the photo of a stone, carried by glaciers and unaltered for millions of years in Finland with the fleeting pattern of the frozen sea, which may vanish within days as temperatures rise, from which I would like to reflect on global warming, questioning what remains eternal amidst the threat of melting glaciers and shifting landscapes.
Hill, People, and the Street Light in the Fog
Tourist, the Black Beach, and a Replanted Tree
Woman, Foggy Island, and the Mirror in the Sky
Mother, Daughter, and the Highway Illumination
Lighthouse, Visitors, and the Drifting Clouds
Climber, Mountain, and the Storm
Island, Billboard, and Blue Scratches on the Sails
Snowy Cliff, Flying Mosquitoes, and the Ship on the Faraway Sea
Frozen Sea, Afterglow, and the Airplane Glimmers
Clouds, Soaring Birds, and the Distant Lights from the Ferry
Artist Statement about the Project
Tianjun Li, 2024
This project, which began in 2023, represents my ongoing interdisplinary exploration of photograph and sound. It includes a photography series, a sound art album, video works, and live performances. Beyond exhibitions, the project has been presented as visual concerts and in the form of an artist book and record. It started from my reflections on the deforestation happening both in my homeland and Finland, as well as an exploration of the interconnectedness between humans and nature. Over time, it expanded into a broader contemplation of the search for home, deeply influenced by my experiences of living in Finland and Iceland after leaving home.
In the photography series, I treat images as signals, sent back and forth between my current home and the place I left behind. I recompose photographs taken in my homeland with those captured during my stays in Finland and Iceland, re-composing them together in a way that reimagines a utopian world of dreams, hope, and human nature co-existence. Through double exposure, I merge the light of my hometown’s lighthouse with Iceland’s canyons; the city lights of my homeland encircle a boy standing in a Finnish forest; trees from my homeland are transplanted into Icelandic landscapes, barren due to deforestation and climate change, and other various photographic elements that are connected in hidden but delicate manners. The documentary nature of the images transforms into a space for imagined realities.
In this project, I also began exploring sound and the human voice. As a synesthete, I naturally see images in sound. The project culminated in a music album that serves as a soundtrack to the photography series. Using my own vocal experiments, field recordings from Iceland and Finland, as well as recordings from my homeland, I reassembled these elements to create a wordless soundscape that reflects themes of migration, self-exploration, and coexisting with nature, as well as the search for the meaning of home. When we return to being creatures—just humans—the wordless voice carries the power of speech.
Example page from the Photobook TODAY, TOMORROW, AND THE TALES FROM THE WIND
1839 Award Exhibition, Contemporary Image Museum, Chengdu international Photography Festival, 2023
Photography - Sound Performance, Helsinki, 2023
A Whale’s Sympathy, Performance, Reykjavík, Iceland, 2023
Photo- Sound Artist Book, 2024