Illustration of 10,000 items found by a mother (10 photos)
In 2005, Chinese artist Sun Dong presented an installation consisting of thousands of household items. A wide variety of items—from clothes to pencils—were neatly arranged across the floor. The initial impression and title "Waste Not" might suggest this is another work about consumer society and environmental protection. But in fact, the performance has a completely different, more personal meaning.
Sun Dong's mother was born in 1938 and lived through severe political and social upheaval. Living in poverty, like many Chinese at the time, she developed the habit of frugality and saving, making the most of what little she had. And even when life improved, she continued to hoard things just in case, fearing the return of hard times.
After the death of Sun's father, his mother experienced a severe emotional crisis, and her hoarding habit reached an extreme. Every corner of her small house was crammed with thousands of things. Any attempt to tidy up only led to conflict. To improve her life without throwing anything away, Song suggested turning these items into works of art. Her mother curated the exhibit herself, acting as the artist, and Song became her assistant. The project allowed her to tidy up not only her home but also her own memories, giving new life to her accumulated possessions. 
Download
Archive size 1.88 Mb, downloaded 1 times