The historical divide compresses what would be 4 centuries of European upheaval into a mere 40 years for the Chinese, cleaving our generation into disparate eras.

We grapple with imbalances—geographical, economic, personal—each breeding a disquiet in our minds, until even our dreams falter and lose their equilibrium. We live amidst vast disparities, This is our life, living in the enormous gaps between reality and history; one could argue we are all ill, or conversely, that we are wholly sound, for we live perpetually suspended between two extremes.

-------YuHua 余华, "We dwell in the shadows of colossal disparities" "我们生活在巨大的差距里“

Generation of Books is a (Deepfake) book reading performance and physical installation series.

It explores the profound societal and psychological upheavals in China over recent decades — transformations so sweeping that they mirror four centuries of European evolution, as poetically noted by author Yu Hua.

Through the lens of three books, read by three successive generations within one family, Generation of Books captures the immense scale of change in China and the deep rifts it carves across time, space, and ideology.

It reflects not only on dramatic shifts in landscape and belief systems, but also on the personal and collective psyches caught between historical remnants and futuristic aspirations.

Amid these ideological rifts, I find myself engaged in an intergenerational conversation. It is the clash of beliefs that silences certain topics at the dinner table, yet it is the quiet, enduring power of love that continues to bring the family together around it.

FIRST GENERATION // GRANDPA
A FORMER CHINESE NUCLEAR RESEARCH FACILITY WORKER

Grandpa's book is an original 1966 copy of the "Selected Works of Mao" "Selected Works of Mao." Revered like a bible by Chinese workers of that era, the core philosophy of this book aligned with the national ethos—every action in life should serve the nation's objectives.

In his interview, Grandpa discusses his tenure at the China Academy Of Engineering Physics, a role of utmost secrecy and national importance.

SECOND GENERATION // MOM
A MEDICAL STUDENT CROSSED CHINA TO BUILD A LIFE AND FAMILY

Mom's book is an original copy of "Reader's Digest." For many Chinese young people in the 80s and 90s, this book was a source of guidance on life, love, and dreams. The prevailing aspiration was to establish a stable, joyful life centered around family, with marriage, children, and property ownership as the hallmarks of success.

In her interview, Mom discusses her journey to fulfill her dream of living in a city with water and beautiful landscapes. She speaks candidly about finding love, the highs and lows of her marriage.

The Kang (炕) is a traditional heated platform found in Northern China, where my grandparents are originally from, before moving across the country to dedicate their lives to China’s nuclear and hydrogen bomb projects. In the bitter cold of the north, the Kang becomes a multifunctional space: coal burns beneath it for warmth, and people eat, sleep, and gather on its surface. It’s a site of intimacy, sharing, and togetherness. It became a major inspiration for the design of our installation table.

Collaborating with architect and designer Arsenios Zachariadis, we set out to create a platform that would hold space for both the archival materials and the book reading performance. The goal was to allow visitors to gather around, flip through the archives, and experience the performance communally.

The final design was an 8-by-8-foot wooden platform, featuring a curved corner and a circular cut-out at its center.

Initially, we envisioned the book reading performance unfolding across three distinct positions: on top of the platform, inside the cut-out hole, and along the edge—each corresponding to a different generation. Archival materials would be arranged around these zones to reflect the era they represented. Though we ultimately simplified this concept during installation due to its complexity, it remains an idea worth revisiting and further developing in future iterations.

The project invites audiences to engage with the archival objects arranged around the platform, followed by a 25 minutes performance.

The performance consists of three five-minute readings, each drawn from one of the selected books. Between the readings, two-minute visual interludes serve as transitions, each tailored to reflect the ethos of the corresponding book, individual, and era.

"I see my shadow on you, and yours on me." My mom said this once in passing, but it stayed with me—a quiet truth about how souls can blur at the edges. I wanted to hold onto that feeling during the readings from my mother’s and grandfather’s books.

Working with Amber Zhu, we developed a visual language in TouchDesigner that avoided the literal realism of deepfakes, aiming instead for something more ephemeral. The face drifts slowly across the wall, leaving a soft trail, until it gently merges with my own—projected, overlapping, momentarily becoming one.