Yibo Wan

Drawing inspiration from Ophelia's fleeting moment in Hamlet, where she picks flowers before her inevitable fall, the piece reimagines this scene as a dynamic tableau—a suspended moment where beauty, fate, and restraint intertwine.

At the heart of Euphemeria is the notion that beauty, though transient, leaves traces of its presence, preserving its essence through its interaction with the body. The rigid brass framework, a symbol of both constraint and preservation, contrasts with the delicate stainless steel wires that subtly respond to the body’s movements, evoking a tension between permanence and fragility.

In this piece, the materials serve as vessels of memory, capturing fleeting moments and emotions that resonate with both past and present. The performer, embodying Ophelia, becomes a living sculpture, carrying the weight of this suspended moment—a poignant reminder of the memories and connections that endure across time, even as they fade from physical form. Through this transformation, beauty becomes eternal, imprinted in the cycles of loss and rebirth.