Chicago & Shenzhen
2021I’ve grown increasingly concerned with contemporary social and philosophical issues. Chicago-Shenzhen visually translates my complex feelings toward these two cities.
I once resented both my hometown and Chicago for their architectural homogeneity and overwhelming industrial landscapes. Yet being unable to return home during the pandemic—and later studying Chicago’s architectural history—sparked unexpected fascination. The shared architectural DNA between these cities, which initially bored me, began triggering waves of nostalgia. Both are dominated by dense clusters of skyscrapers, and while exploring Chicago’s towers and factories, I suddenly recognized traces of Shenzhen’s skyline.
By overlapping Chicago’s buildings digitally, I transformed concrete structures into abstract compositions. The results bore an uncanny resemblance to Shenzhen’s architecture, crystallizing my longing for home.
Creating this work raised deeper questions about homogenized memory. Over decades, globalization has reshaped our environments—and by extension, our recollections. We call memories “unique,” yet I keep “rediscovering” mine in foreign cities. When I can’t find any distinctive landmarks in my homwtown, I wonder: Can personal memories truly exist in isolation, or have they become collective? If our nostalgia now attaches to interchangeable cookie-cutter buildings worldwide, how should we interpret this phenomenon—as cultural erosion or unifying?
connection?
