Flat Sand is Boundless

by Xia Liu

“Video In this work, I reassess the intricate relationship between the environment and human society, delving into the interconnectedness of home, land, technology, and agriculture. At the center of this dialogue are ceramic vegetables, hollow imitations formed by firing the surfaces of real produce coated in mud. Placed in sand, a medium that lacks the capacity to nurture life, these static objects serve as deliberate obstacles that contrast the natural with the artificial. The Roomba’s perception of these forms as obstructions symbolizes our perpetual negotiation with the blurred boundaries between the physical and the virtual. By modifying the machine’s primary function, opening a substantial aperture in its collection box. I have enabled a continuous, two-hour flow of sand. As the Roomba cycles until its power is depleted, the weight of the sand remains constant while its form undergoes perpetual transformation. The patterns etched into the floor evolve with each passing hour, akin to successive layers of human existence on a shared plot of land. While our external environments and societal roles undergo constant flux, our core values and intrinsic essence endure.”