Shiqing Yao

In the legend, the Tower of Babel not only represents the desire of human beings to reach heaven together, but is also a symbol of human beings' inability to cooperate because of language barriers. If, as in the myth, language is the main cause of conflict between people, then Shiqing is determined to find a tool that can enable people to communicate in addition to language.

In the current context of the coronavirus sweeping the world, the experience of participating in ‘Clap for the NHS’ has inspired her. The long and lonely lockdown gave applause unprecedented meaning. It replaced language and spread positive signals to people, connecting our hearts through emotional resonance. While being excited by the applause, she also realised how important unity is. Only when the forces of the whole of society are brought together can we achieve the common goal of defeating this epidemic. 

Therefore, she used plaster and clay to make ruins, combined with LED bulbs and EL wire, to form a set of public installations that can convert sound into light. Pedestrians can clap their hands to trigger the installation in the dark and use light to repair cracks in the wall. 

Shiqing hopes that her work will recall people's memory of the lockdown period that has ended. During the epidemic, we have experienced too many memorable moments. The dedication and sacrifice of countless people proved that although the Tower of Babel was not successfully built, people did not forget the original intention of building it.