When creation moves from the private studio into public space, the power of integration manifests in communal participation. At Hangzhou’s Fiber Art Triennial, Choi + Shine’s Distance reimagines zodiac symbolism. Over eight months, 125 volunteers crocheted 5.2km of cotton thread into abstract animal forms.
The inspiration for this work came from the culture of the Jiangnan water towns where Hangzhou is located, particularly the network of waterways and tidal phenomena of the Yangtze River Delta. The artists eschewed cold, modern materials in favor of the softest, most handcrafted medium: white crocheted fiber.
They crocheted abstracted elements of the Chinese zodiac—perhaps a curved ox horn or flowing rooster feathers. These woven units were ultimately assembled into a large, slowly rotating circular installation, suspended above a reflective floor simulating water.
The installation’s reflective water design hides depth. Moving viewers rearrange zodiac projections—a metaphor for tradition’s fluidity. Stainless-steel wires mimic Qiantang River tides, animating static textiles.
The zodiac is a system of identity symbols deeply embedded in East Asian cultural memory. By having community members hand-crochet these symbols, Distance tightly stitches personal labor to cultural memory.
The installation’s rotatability introduces a crucial dynamic perspective: as viewers move around the work, or as the piece itself turns slowly, the relationship between the individual and the whole, between one’s own zodiac sign and others’, constantly shifts.
This metaphorically suggests that an individual’s position within the social network is not fixed; our “distance” from tradition and from each other can be redefined through active participation and shifting perspectives.
The work ceases to be a static object to be viewed and becomes a field that stimulates thought and dialogue, weaving dispersed individuals into a temporary yet emotionally rich community through shared cultural threads and manual labor. Here, art becomes an active bond connecting people to each other and to tradition.
The article combines AI generation for reference only. All images courtesy of Choi + Shine Architects, shared with permission
