Breaking as Fixing

In this exhibition, the artist and participants use physical actions—unravelling, breaking, mending—as metaphors for the ways we process memories, stories, and emotions. The daily objects become vessels, whether fabric wearables or ceramic containers, and become tangible embodiments of intangible experiences. And on various occasions, an extension of our identity. Through the delicate yet violent acts of deconstruction and recreation, the artist wants to experiment whether that complex mix of emotion, narratives, and self-identification that we attach to objects can be transformed by the actions, and whether destruction can be a means of creation.

As the wearables are unravelled and weaved into new, the story slowly dissolves. By collectively and actively breaking down the object that once carried warmth, intimacy, and conflict, the artist and audience are engaged in a kind of catharsis—physically unravelling the emotional tensions tied to it. As the yarn is re-knit onto a frame, the material that once held one narrative is repurposed to construct something completely new and different.

With the ceramics, the daily cycle of breaking and mending furthers this exploration. Over time, the artist moves away from restoring their original forms after the repeated daily destruction, instead using fragments from various containers to create entirely new structures. This process transforms destruction into a powerful statement, challenging the tendency to hold onto past narratives that no longer serve us. The artist also stages a playground for the audience to engage with these cycles, inviting them to disrupt, participate, regain control of their own narratives, and take whatever they need from the process—both physically and metaphorically. Here, violence becomes a tool for release and renewal, actively working against the toxic pull of nostalgia.

Inspired by the tremendously moving stories the artist encountered in East Ham, fabric and ceramic weave a vivid picture of domestic life, reflecting both the intimacy and the turbulence that reside within it. Since project day one, Danlu followed the calling to investigate the local object culture of East Ham, an area that has undergone significant cultural shifts in the last few decades.

Dear reader, as the text is being written at the moment, the project is still being continuously developed. As you are reading at the present time, the project is still evolving rigorously. Driven by the artist’s process-oriented approach, the project breathes and grows from day one until the closing of the exhibition, and beyond.

Video & photography by Antoni Lee · Photography by Jingyi Tong & Yiwei Xu

Breaking into Anew

2024. Fabric, wood, nails, velcro tape, fishing line

Interactive invitation: you are invited to participate in the “breaking” process, unknit the sweater, and create something new on the frame.

The sweaters in this piece are each a found object with its own unique history, originating from different countries and crafted using diverse knitting techniques by various manufacturers. These garments, selected by the artist, hold stories and memories that invite release or transformation. As the audience unknits each sweater, they actively engage in reshaping its narrative, reclaiming the power to intervene with the emotions and stories embedded in every thread.

Breaking in Cycles

2024. Mixed media installation with performance, video, and interactive audience engagement

Performance rule: daily, the artist breaks the fixed ceramic pieces from the day before and starts fixing them again. Interactive invitation: you are invited to sit down and play with the ceramic fragments following the instructions on the table.

The artist acquired a pile of broken domestic ceramics, with no knowledge of their origins, previous owners, or the events that led to their breakage. Through the daily cycle of fixing and breaking, the artist is not only building a personal attachment to these previously unknown objects but also testing the connection between herself and her work. The fixing takes place in the intimacy of her home, while the breaking happens in the fire exit corridor—a space used in emergencies to escape. This location becomes a symbolic “exit” from domestic life and its memories.

The performances in the gallery space and in the park are extensions of the daily practice recorded in the video, inviting the audience to intervene in this daily cycle. This piece began before the exhibition culminated on the final day, leaving an uncertain outcome—whether the fragments will be repaired, rebuilt into something new, or remain broken.