Polyhedron: Exploring the Fluid Interplay Between Self, Identity, and Environment
No.219:
Collage Printed with Neglected Self-Value
The question of "Who am I?" seems eternal, presenting individual variability and providing a microscopic view of the world. An individual's multifaceted identity is expressed through changes in their social groups. However, when one's sense of self fails to form, frequent shifts in identity can lead to the dissolution of the subject.
"I have habitually neglected my self-worth and lack the ability to assess it," says the artist. This stems from an education system designed to suppress individuality and promote collectivization. Rooted in China’s unique socio-political context and influenced by Soviet historical and ideological dissemination, this education is a product of the times, not an endeavor aimed at promoting human development.
We acquire multiple identities within different groups, each contributing to how we define ourselves within these social contexts. These identities may conflict with or integrate into our self-definition, making the fragmentation, confusion, and difficulty in transitioning between identities inevitable.
No.9719 No.1202 No.2202 No.1520:
De-individualization and the Imposition of Attributes
The principles of compulsory education were discussed in Project No.219, and here the dichotomy between the learning patterns before high school and those of higher education is highlighted. The rapid expansion and massification of education have led to a disregard for the individual, focusing solely on the goal of higher education democratization. As a result, the confusion post-achievement and the division between two student identities become sources of pain associated with multi-layered identities.
From within, the purpose of the education I received was to strip away individuality and lead one towards collectivism. In this process, the habit and concept of self-reflection were taken away, leading to an ingrained tendency to act according to others' instructions and goals. This deprivation of self was willingly accepted, and even emotionally justified, as a form of self-sacrifice.
No.-1:
Self-Sacrifice and Collective Integration
I discovered that there seem to be invisible strings binding us together—strings that, in essence, reflect our silent compromises. These compromises manifest as subconscious compulsive behaviors aimed at maintaining an individual’s social identity within a group. Such relationships are built on the suppression or sacrifice of self, resulting in a choice to sacrifice when self-identity conflicts with social identity, under the belief that it maintains "peace," secures acceptance, and thus holds value.
Internally, we are bound by the satisfaction of self-sacrifice, stemming from the generational transmission of traditional Chinese values and the societal promotion of heroism. Externally, we are constrained by "responsibility," which is derived from our innate human need to align with group-assigned roles for survival—meeting our needs for connection, safety, and emotional fulfillment.
Thus, it can be concluded that we exist symbiotically with the group. As long as survival is the aim, absolute individuality and self cannot exist.