Hangzhou Triennial DISTANCE Making

Making of the Distance

Distance 缩地

Hangzhou Triennial of Fiber Art

Zhejiang Art Museum

China Academy of Art

Hangzhou, China

September -November, 2025

The Triennial’s theme, ‘Re-Constellations’ is a metaphor for reconsideration of the relationship between globalization and localization.

Our response to the theme centers on the perception of distance and how we create a connection - people imagined the connection between the stars as a recognizable figure regardless of their actual physical distances. In fact, constellations exist entirely in our perception, not as a physical reality. The project expanded the idea of the constellation as a navigational tool; how we re-imagine the constellation in relation to the current and future social shifts. The important aspect of this project - connecting communities together - closely relates to the idea of constellation, seemingly disparate entities forming a harmonious whole.

Design

Jin Choi and Thomas Shine

Structural Design

Thomas Shine

Frame fabrication

魏濤 Wei Tao

Installation

魏濤 Wei Tao

Kang Kang and his team

浙江美术馆 Zhejiang Art Museum Staff and Volunteers

Special thanks to:

Assistant Curator, 李军毓 Dr Junyu Li

Co-Curator, 黄燕 Prof Yan Huang

Co-Curator, 姜俊 Jun Jiang

Artistic Director 施慧 Shi Hui

Exhibition Director: 应金飞 Jinfei Ying
Zhejiang Art Museum Chloe Wu

中国美术学院 China Academy of Art
Volunteer Group Leaders
吴沁 Wu Qin
萧潇 Xiao Xiao
朱亦楚 Zhu Yichu
张倩雯 Zhang Qianwen
王子若 Wang Ziruo
单子芬 Shan Zifen
朱晨希 Zhu Chenxi
王嘉琦 Wang Jiaqi

Photo from lace

factory and showroom

in Hangzhou.

Photo Jin Choi

Photo from the Kick Off of the project.

June 2025

Lace: Intangible Heritage

Hangzhou is the ancient city of silk. This project aims to embrace, honour and strengthen the craft and industrial heritage of Hangzhou. In particular, the work relates to the silk and lace making industry in the area and reminds us of the history of the struggle in labor conditions for the future generation, while elevating the craft into art, transcending generations.

Volunteer 的清雪 Qing Xue

“I am very interested in this work of art, I was very much looking forward to it. I searched online for Choi’s previous work made overseas, including the one in Amsterdam. Overseas productions are quite desirable but I did not know if I could participate, so when I saw the recruits for Hangzhou, I was the first one to sign up.”

Volunteer 白晨阳 Bob/Bai Chenyang
“First of all, I think it is a very valuable opportunity to communicate with the artist. I think people coming together to create is a very happy and lucky thing. We have a lot of questions in the follow up, for instance if some diagrams are not easy for you to understand, or if you do not know how to crochet a certain part, we communicate with the artist directly in the WeChat group. She is very patient, and will encourage us, saying that we are doing a great job. We feel this gives us more confidence to keep going.”

125 Volunteer Participants 「Distance 缩地」志愿者名单 125 名

沈楚婷 Sheng Chuting

清雪 Qin Xue

吴沁 Wu Qin

邱思颖 Qiu Siying

丁姝丹 Ding Shudan

夏雨 Xia yu

张薇 Zhang Wei

张晓敏 Zhang Xiaomin

张淑倩 Zhang Shuqian

潘炜萱 Irene Pan Weixuan

施晴 Shi Qing

邢梦源 Xing Mengyuan

李晓丹 Li XiaodanJuana

冯诗睿 Feng Shirui

潘紫钰 Pan Ziyu,

朱柔霏 Zhu Roufei

余爱珍 Yu Aizhen

童婷婷 Tong Tingting

杨沁盈 Yang Qinying

李佳 Li Jia

刘嫒媛 Liu Yuanyuan

诸宜时 Zhu Shiyi

余梓灵 Yu Ziling

乌妮乐 Wu Nile

杨沁盈 Yang Qinying,

盛颖 Sheng Ying

陈奕彤 Chen Yitong

陈张露 Chen Zhanglu

张丹丹 Zhang Dandan

金雨澈 Jin Yuche

萧潇 Xiao Xiao

王子若 Wang Ziruo,

朱亦楚 Zhu Yichu

崔恩华 Cui en hua

鲍艺源 Bao Yiyuan

王新莉 Wangxinli

金婧 Jin Jing

张聃宁Zhang Danning

杨妤婷 Yang Yuting

徐婧楠 Xu Jingnan

章乐宁 Zhang Lening

苏思忆 Su Siyi

董莹莹 Dong Yingying

张妍 Zhang Yan

李岱樾 Li Daiyue

孙于淇 Sun Yuqi

黄嘉艳 Huang Jiayan

陈晓虹 Chen Xiaohong

黄慧珍Huang Huizhen

姚贵嫚 Yao Guiman

郭崇雪 Guo Chongxue

徐馨怡 Xu Xinyi

毛思源 Mao Siyuan

黄怡湄 Huang Yimei

张倩雯 Zhang Qianwen

陈矞 Chen yu

汪雪涯 Xueya wang

吴楠 Wu Nan

彭翼飞 Peng Yifei

周璇 Zhou Xuan

范青 Fan Qing

周全 Zhou Quan

张晗希 Zhang Hanxi

陈慧荣 Chen Huirong

符曼倩 Fu Manqian

瞿诗祎 Qu Shiyi

张佳月 Zhang Jiayue

赵丽Zhao Li

周子歆 Zhou Zixin

南江 Nan Jiang

叶泽光 Ye Zeguang

贾梦圆 Jia Mengyuan

刘思瑶 Liu Siyao

刘思瑗 Liu Siyuan

许萍 Xu Ping

马彦冰 Ma Yanbing

黄恰丽 HuangYiLi

Photos of lace from project’s digital platform shared among the participants.

Photo © Choi+Shine

Lace Workshop

胡雪歌 Hu Xuege

杨琦睿 Yang Qirui

杨睿 Yang Rui

白晨阳 Bob/Bai Chenyang

周浩新 Zhou Haoxin

茅雨莎 Sue Maoyusha

T李丽娜 Li Lina

高琳 Gao Lin

徐莹 Xu Yin

刘慧 Liu Hui

冯心翎 Feng Xinlin

单子芬 Shan Zifen

朱伟丽 Zhu Weili

林多多 Lin Duo duo

李嘉桐 Li Jiatong

袁翠芬 Yuan Cuifen、倪梧桐 Ni Wutong

石艳玲 Shi Yanling

朱艺沁 Zhu Yiqi

许婷婷 Xu Tingting

张怡琳 Zhang Yilin

张春华 Zhang Chunhua

陈萍 Chen Ping

马璎园 Ma Yingyuan

童伊辰 Tong Yichen

张馨月 Zhang Xinyue

茹雅利 Ru Yali

梁馨月 Liang Xinyue

钱国群 Qian Guoqun

赵嫄 Zhao Yuan

卿泽林 Qing Zelin

施琳菲 Shi Linfei

谭瑾瑜 Tan Jinyu

王嘉琦 Wang Jiaqi

李雯 Li Wen

谢绍凤 Xie Shaofeng、李馨璐 Li Xinlu

吴琛 Wu Chen

王梦雨 Wang Mengyu

朱初晓 Zhu Chuxiao、庞昕怡 Pang Xinyi

陈瑞婷 Chen Ruiting

刘青雨 Liu Qingyu

王浩宇 Wang Haoyu

许丁一 XuDingyi

林施妍 Lin Shiyan

薛嘉仪 Xue Jiayi

王薪雅 Wang Xinya

Interview of participating volunteers

Group Leader/volunteer 吴沁 Wu Qin

“Many volunteers are actually novices in crochet, and there are many complex patterns. They may not be very good at crochet, so we are in the process of communicating and collaborating. Beginners and skilled volunteers help each other. The artists encourage this as it is a very important process.”

Volunteer 袁翠芬 Yuan Cuifen

“It is beautiful and it really shocked me. I think everyone cooperate very well with a tacit understanding. At first I was most worried that I wouldn’t be able to put it together, but all the pieces were put together and it was perfect. I thought young people currently, rarely make hand made crochet or knitting, but I really admire them. They are nothing like us. I am learning how to use technology from them and this group of young women are really great.”

Group Leader/volunteer 吴沁 Wu Qin

“I feel this piece is for me is a very shocking visual effect. Because in the process of making, we stay focused in details in parts. But when this work, the whole is displayed in front is us, what the artist wants to give us is finally presented. The zodiac is also a very important symbol for China. I think the artist carries a passion and love for Chinese culture and with which, artists are leading us together to co-create this work.”

Volunteer 的清雪 Qing Xue

“I was shocked to arrive at the scene today. I circled three times looking for the pieces that our group was responsible for. To be honest, I have been looking for it for a long time. it is under the guidance of the audience that I found that our mouse zodiac sign as a final assembled crochet piece. A really great work! I am very honoured to be one of the 110 crochet volunteers. Participating in this project was a really a very important experience in my life.“

“The Rocks of Twelve”

in West Lake, Hangzhou:

An example of the importance of the Zodiac in the communities in Hangzhou, witnessing their engagement in search of the recognisable form and its interpretation.

The work comprises large scale lace objects reminiscent of the twelve Chinese Zodiac signs. The Chinese Zodiac remains a vital part of personal and communal identity, reflecting deep-seated beliefs that have transcended generations. Its influence can be seen in contemporary daily life, from personal guidance and relationships to cultural celebrations. The twelve animals not only symbolise individual traits and characteristics but also foster a sense of belonging and continuity. As society evolves, it continues to find relevance, connecting to the wisdom of the past and the shared narratives that shape our identities today. Its legacy, with its rich symbolism, cultural significance and unifying power, will endure as a navigational tool in the current and future social shifts.

In this project, the individual elements are independent, complete and can stand alone, but also offer an encounter of these elements forming a recognisable entity. Twelve elements are arranged in a way that the composition’s axial view allows for a visual interpretation of a zodiac circle. By incorporating perspectival foreshortening and parallax, the project relates to the Zodiac as a tool, a device to understand the distance and time, how we orient ourselves and navigate the world. When the viewer’s position is off the axis, the composition loses its legible visual order and the elements start to form different relations, allowing for varying compositions. The process engages the movement of the viewer, emphasising one’s power to position oneself in reference to others, to actively define different connections and relationships. The project urges us to recognise, interpret and identify ourselves and others, a manifestation of how we perceive ourselves in the changing world around us.

Photos from the top:

Areal view of West Lake in Hangzhou, 2019.

Photo/Xinhua

Daytime view of West Lake. Photo/Wikipedia.

Map of West Lake, 1940.

Author unknown.

Traditional Chinese landscape design in Hangzhou West Lake area, featuring a pond with a natural rock as a centrepiece.

Photos from left:

Gazebo in West Lake,

An example of an Anamorphic image on a distorted projector

3d model of formal study by Choi+Shine

Photo of a white tiger

Jade Cong, Liangshu culture in the Neolithic Age, 5,300 - 4,300 BP. Photo from the artists’ museum visit.

Far Right:

Sketches of the Tiger Zodiac by Jin Choi, showing the lace form and anamorphic lace pattern in front and side view.

“Typical Chinese classical gardens are composed of ponds and Taihu Stone, following the concepts of traditional Taoism and Confucianism. The Taihu stone holds deep symbolic significance within Chinese intellectual life, encouraging reflection, inspiration, and a sense of cosmic harmony. For centuries, scholars and artists have viewed it as a microcosm of nature”.

-The Sacred Arts of the Black Atlantic, Duke University

Lace: Symbolism

Hangzhou is the widely-known birthplace of legends, with the example of White Snake and Xu Xian meeting for the first time on the Broken Bridge, and writing the final chapter of the legend at Leifeng Pagoda (Wiki). The process of deduction boils down the twelve Zodiac animals to achieve the essence of the forms, while associating them with auspicious objects with symbolic cultural significance. The architectural elements in iconic Chinese structures in various sites in Hangzhou are also incorporated, contributing further to the polysemy of each object. Simplicity of each from is contrasted with the intricacy of the lace in austere grandeur.

Anamorphic visual distortion was applied to create a visual illusion with the lace pattern.

The project reflects the symbolism-rich Chinese culture, and its power to bring people together. Each Zodiac form combines auspicious elements found in cultural heritage; the form of tiger resembles Leifeng pagoda or the gazebo in West Lake, but also a lily flower which symbolises good fortune in Chinese culture;

Photos from left:

3d model by Choi+Shine.

Baby orange monkey,

Peaches of Immortality Tapestry, Ming dynasty,

A censer from Jin Dynasty, Hangzhou (photo from Artists’

museum visits in Hangzhou).

Sketch of the lace pattern

by Jin Choi

Railing details from artists’ visit to Hangzhou. Photo/Jin Choi

Monkey’s head reads also as a peach, relating to immortality and vitality originating from Chinese mythology; the dog forms an island of West Lake while the snake mimics moon gate and the bridges, creating an entry and a portal; and the rabbit sits on the pond like a Taihu Stone in Chinese gardens; Ram relates to the symbol of cloud, an auspicious pattern often used in Chinese arts and craft; the horse head forms a tunnel, symbolising a passage of time, the Zodiac; pig’s head resembles a gourd or a bottle (bing), bringing a good fortune and prosperity.

Left: Door detail from location visit in Westlake Scenic Area in Hangzhou. Photo/Jin Choi

Bottom Left: Pattern sketch by Jin Choi

Center:Cadd diagram for the pattern by Jin Choi

Right: Crochet test sample by Jin Choi

Photos from the top:

Bridge in West Lake,

3d model by Choi+Shine

Hangzhou Lace,

(photo from Artist’s visit to the lace factory in Hangzhou).

Choi+Shine’s previous project

(ARIZONA! 2018) showing the lace composition in a ribbon form.

Images from left:

Early sketch of the composite lace panel for the dragon by Jin Choi

Right: Photos of architectural details from artists’ trip to Hangzhou.

The dragon comes from the roof of Chinese traditional architecture and Korean timber structure, 용마루. Studies of the lace motifs found in the Hangzhou lace factory and architectural details in West Lake District in Hangzhou were incorporated into the lace pattern.

Photos from the pre-Kick Off meeting with the volunteer group leaders. The most prestigious art and architecture school in China, China Academy of Art, was one of the organizers of the Triennial. Master’s program students at the Academy volunteered to participate in the project while leading volunteer groups.

The kick off of the project with the volunteers at Zhejiang Art Museum June 17th & 18th, 2025

Photos

Photo

Quote from Phoenix Art:

This is the installation work "Distance" specially created by the internationally famous artist group Choi+Shine for this triennial. This work not only shocks the audience with its grand scale and ethereal beauty, but also perfectly interprets the core of “re-constellation “with its profound social connection and humanistic approach behind it. In the morning before the opening of the exhibition, we had an in-depth conversation with the Choi+Shine group to listen to them talk about the whole process of this work from conception to birth, as well as the unforgettable journey they experienced in Hangzhou.

"We arrived in Hangzhou on September 13th and have been working for ten days in a row so far, with almost no stop." As the provider of artistic concepts in the group, Jin Choi was a little tired but excited in her eyes. For Choi+Shine, the intensity of this trip to Hangzhou is huge, but the emotional impact and creative satisfaction are also unprecedented.

The core elements of the work "《缩地》Shrink the Earth" are selected from the twelve zodiac animals, which have deep-rooted significance in Chinese culture. This is a very attractive starting point for a group of artists who have long paid attention to public space, social structure and interpersonal relationships. The twelve zodiac animals are part of every Chinese identity. It is a mark of time and a symbol of culture," she explained. "It connects the past and the present, and connects every individual.”

It is true that this work was born from a very close collaboration from the beginning - international artists and local volunteers and residents in Hangzhou, young and old, work together. At that time, just a week after the recruitment order was issued, more than 400 applications poured into the mailbox of Zhejiang Art Museum, far exceeding the expected 100 people. The interview site overturned everyone's imagination: more than half of the applicants were post-2000s, one-third were men, and the 110 volunteers who were finally selected came from all walks of life. This is not only the production process of an art project, but also a large-scale social art practice, a construction across language, culture, age and identity.

Photos from the workshop

Lace: Making

The translucency and intricacy of the material often provokes femininity and lends a false sense of vulnerability and fragility. The lace is indeed usually created by female artisans who endure long hours of arduous labor and the meticulous attention to detail it requires; lace manifests the patience, resilience and tenacity of the maker.

The lace for this project is handmade with local volunteers, which connects everyone involved with a shared vision. Making of lace sharpens their minds while making new friends and neighbors, witnessing incredible creativity and kindness from the community: urgent troubleshooting solutions, careful discussions about the design, with thoughtful tips and help shared among volunteers. The community and their concerted effort decidedly represent our collective will to contribute to the whole.

The project used the digital platform where everyone could share questions and answers, progress and encouragements. The platform witnessed incredible creativity and kindness from the community: urgent trouble shooting solutions, careful discussions about the design, and thoughtful tips and help shared among volunteers.

Photos during assembly

Traditionally, lace revealed the divided class society. This project aspires to bring everyone together regardless of their origin, age, socio-economical status and background; all contribute to the making, while touching everyone in the process.

Once all completed lace pieces were collected, volunteers and group leaders gathered to assemble the pieces together. The assembled lace was then moved to the exhibition gallery to combine them with the structure. Museum staff suspended the completed lace forms. Installation involved about 30 volunteers for 6 days and total 10 days of installation.

Crochet patterns use internationally recognised symbols. Similar to the musical notes, it is an universal language transcending nationality or cultural origins, promoting art without borders.

The participatory process of creating art enables sharing of the authorship. Anyone can experience the creative effort in making art through collaboration.

The process of engaging community requires perseverance and sincerity. We learnt that the lucid vision lives on the power of optimism.

Photo during installation

Photos during installation

Video during installation

Lace symbolically weaves different people and cultures. Through community involvement, the work enables participants to share the ownership and a sense of achievement.

Lace: Celebration

Generally, lace is small in scale, and often private, used as a symbol for a special celebration, milestones of life. Shown in a large scale in a public place, the lace creates a sense of surprise which contributes to our collective memory.

Through community engagement, the process of making has become as meaningful as the outcome of artwork itself, empowering everyone involved. The work materializes the memory of making together, while celebrating the recognition of one’s power to change.

Image during installation

Photo of the artists during the final installation

To the installation…