The Ballad of Xiu Ying" (秀英的歌谣)

Xiu Ying once waltzed through these gates on her padded little slippers, slinking past guards and adoring courtiers without granting them a look into her deep, black eyes. She was a favored Guìfēi 貴妃, one of only two noble consorts in the imperial harem. Xiu Ying did not know much of politics when she was first brought to the Zǐjinchéng紫禁城, but she used her shapely ears for more than just listening to music, and soon she could follow the most intricate of political concertos.  Evenings saw Xiu Ying whispering tinkling melodies of plans for urban development and food distribution, and hers was a cherished voice. She smiled to think of what her beauty had done for the world, and she was content. One night, her cantatas of guidance caught the ears of the emperor’s advisors, and they decided to silence the perceptive songbird. Xiu Ying was plucked from her gilded cage and thrown into the moat, broken and forever quieted. It is said that the ghost of Xiu Ying can still be seen taking care of her beloved home. Phantom voices cannot sway politics, but she finds other ways to maintain the symphony that she helped to build. 

ARTIST: Liu Dao 六岛

MEDIA: RGB LED display, Giclée print face-mounted on plexiglass, stainless steel frame

EDITION: Unique

DATE: Made in island6, Shanghai 2014

SIZE: 200(W)×80(H)×8(D) cm