Sarah said she found some prefect "canvas" for my messages yesterday. I will check it out today. Hopefully they are still available. Today's temperature is 4 degree.
I went back to a few different spots where I left my message and see how it goes with them. Oh, I'm addict to it. Like the time you wrote a letter to some one and waiting for response. And who's still writing letters? People can't wait that long anymore. When you see uploading time is more than 30 seconds, you might just delete the file and stopping uploading it. Writing a message to someone I don't know just make it more appealing to me. Remember the time when people put a letter into a glass bottle and throw it into the ocean (well, it would be considered as pollution today). You know it's almost impossible to get any feedback, at the same time it's very appealing.
My plan today is I'm going to stay for awhile to watch people's reaction to the secret message. I will not be disappointed, if no one notice my messages. It's much like the time when I have some things in my head, but I just don't tell people directly. Is it important to let others know every single thought you have in my mind? Some times I do, but some times I don't. I found it quite difficult to communicate with people some time. It's difficult to judge when they want to listen to you. My confidence and drive in giving a comment is shrinking. It's not about right or wrong. Who has time for that? I think my works do show this philosophy in certain sense. They are always hiding somewhere. It is very ironic. People stereotyped artist to be very outspoken. Well I think I'm not that kind of person. Maybe I need the acupuncture too. Yet I do hope I can be true to myself.
Is that why we need therapist so much in modern societies? The faster things more, the less is communication. Most people are rushing to get a life and don't have time for other people's life.
26 November 2008
25 November 2008
Hello! Here I come to the street
Day 2:
Location: Central Railway Station, Helsinki
Time: 12:45
The action:
The process is as follow:
1. Pick the location
2. Press the stamp or the stencil on the snow
3. Carefully pick it up without messing up the snow
4. Walk away
after the message...
The snow is melting a little bit, but it does show the message pretty clear. How would people react to my secret message? A lady came up to me "It's very nice snow art". Honestly I'm very suprise. My Finnish friends said she's probably non Finnish. I don't know. May be. That was an interesting feedback.
Location: Central Railway Station, Helsinki
Time: 12:45
The action:
The process is as follow:
1. Pick the location
2. Press the stamp or the stencil on the snow
3. Carefully pick it up without messing up the snow
4. Walk away
after the message...
The snow is melting a little bit, but it does show the message pretty clear. How would people react to my secret message? A lady came up to me "It's very nice snow art". Honestly I'm very suprise. My Finnish friends said she's probably non Finnish. I don't know. May be. That was an interesting feedback.
Have a nice day...smile :)
:)
A sign which many people use at the end of a text message with mobile phone or email. It's a simple and effective way to show people you're feeling good. I decide to send a message to the this city: "smile :)". Not sure about people's reaction cause my friend told me the city office don't like graffiti. What about this graffiti on snow? Are they going to destory it?
Let's put it up around the city. A nice and cheerful remark to everyone...
My work started this morning at around 6am. (I was "told" the snow is going to melt very soon! Oh, that true! I forgot it's not working like a fridge even though I thought it is as cold as my fridge in Hong Kong. It's something real and will melt pretty quick)
So everything starts to rock & roll!
"SMILE" stamp
First I looked through the store room in my apartment for material. See what I found?! It's the perfect material to make my "SMILE stamp" - it's something like Styrofoam which I found in a box! Great!
The "SMILING FACE" stencil
It's not easy for this one. I was looking for a big piece of plastic sheet, but it seems not possible to find it in my store room. Anyways let's try with some nice laminated cardboard...
A sign which many people use at the end of a text message with mobile phone or email. It's a simple and effective way to show people you're feeling good. I decide to send a message to the this city: "smile :)". Not sure about people's reaction cause my friend told me the city office don't like graffiti. What about this graffiti on snow? Are they going to destory it?
Let's put it up around the city. A nice and cheerful remark to everyone...
My work started this morning at around 6am. (I was "told" the snow is going to melt very soon! Oh, that true! I forgot it's not working like a fridge even though I thought it is as cold as my fridge in Hong Kong. It's something real and will melt pretty quick)
So everything starts to rock & roll!
"SMILE" stamp
First I looked through the store room in my apartment for material. See what I found?! It's the perfect material to make my "SMILE stamp" - it's something like Styrofoam which I found in a box! Great!
The "SMILING FACE" stencil
It's not easy for this one. I was looking for a big piece of plastic sheet, but it seems not possible to find it in my store room. Anyways let's try with some nice laminated cardboard...
A secret message
My needles in Helsinki
I start to think of the "needles"...
I've got here just less than two months. One of the most amazing thing I learnt about was you could pay your tram ticket through your mobile phone! Wow! That was amazing! Mobile phone is taken seriously here in Finland. I have read a joke "How do you get a Finn to talk? Put a phone in his/her hand!" May be that's how people are "connected" here like Nokia says in their ad. I'm not sure if it's the Finnish who invented the mobile phone or the technology, but from a survey in 2006 showed that 124 per cent of the population had a subscription. They are the highest per capita users of mobile phones in the world.
Yet when I walk on the streets, I couldn't feel this kind of "connection" at all. It's a big contradiction. I feel people are more connected through the phone than "real" people. It doesn't mean Finns are rude. It's a cultural characteristic which I was too. When I walk in the Forest every weekend it is rare to get a smile from a person walking the opposite direction to me. So may be that is where I can "put a needle onto" . My little wish to Helsinki. A secret messages to the people in Helsinki...
Secret messages I saw today at a bathroom door
I start to think of the "needles"...
I've got here just less than two months. One of the most amazing thing I learnt about was you could pay your tram ticket through your mobile phone! Wow! That was amazing! Mobile phone is taken seriously here in Finland. I have read a joke "How do you get a Finn to talk? Put a phone in his/her hand!" May be that's how people are "connected" here like Nokia says in their ad. I'm not sure if it's the Finnish who invented the mobile phone or the technology, but from a survey in 2006 showed that 124 per cent of the population had a subscription. They are the highest per capita users of mobile phones in the world.
Yet when I walk on the streets, I couldn't feel this kind of "connection" at all. It's a big contradiction. I feel people are more connected through the phone than "real" people. It doesn't mean Finns are rude. It's a cultural characteristic which I was too. When I walk in the Forest every weekend it is rare to get a smile from a person walking the opposite direction to me. So may be that is where I can "put a needle onto" . My little wish to Helsinki. A secret messages to the people in Helsinki...
Secret messages I saw today at a bathroom door
After the storm
The "shock" from the snow was very new too me...and I started to miss the snow now...
more thoughts on acupuncture
City is like our body...
When you feel the pain, is it too late to heal it? Could be. But it's never too late to do the right thing.
After our first gathering, I think the project Marco did in Taipei was very inspiring. In Chinese culture, people usually don't feel like to present their opinion openly (well Taiwan is a little different because of it special political background-it's too long for me to explain it here). Generally the majority think that not much can be changed anyway after you say it. So people would rather remain quiet until they can't stand it anymore. Like the pain you feel in your body, it will come to you automatically when your body couldn't take it anymore.
small actions...big change?
The reaction one could have after acupuncture is usually INVISIBLE. You might have felt some heat or "Chi"(current) on the points where the needles are put, yet usually very subtle. Like the voices from the students or citizens of Taipei, they are like the small tiny needles putting on the "body". The messages were accepted by the Mayor of Taipei and I'm sure no immediate actions or changes will happen. Yet these words will not disappear, they still exist and like the "Chi" which will stay in the body to heal you in a long run.
more thoughts on acupuncture
City is like our body...
When you feel the pain, is it too late to heal it? Could be. But it's never too late to do the right thing.
After our first gathering, I think the project Marco did in Taipei was very inspiring. In Chinese culture, people usually don't feel like to present their opinion openly (well Taiwan is a little different because of it special political background-it's too long for me to explain it here). Generally the majority think that not much can be changed anyway after you say it. So people would rather remain quiet until they can't stand it anymore. Like the pain you feel in your body, it will come to you automatically when your body couldn't take it anymore.
small actions...big change?
The reaction one could have after acupuncture is usually INVISIBLE. You might have felt some heat or "Chi"(current) on the points where the needles are put, yet usually very subtle. Like the voices from the students or citizens of Taipei, they are like the small tiny needles putting on the "body". The messages were accepted by the Mayor of Taipei and I'm sure no immediate actions or changes will happen. Yet these words will not disappear, they still exist and like the "Chi" which will stay in the body to heal you in a long run.
24 November 2008
The fightening storm
My impression to acupuncture is something very practical. It’s a popular pain reliever and heals chronic diseases not only in Asian countries, but around the world now. I immediately recalled my memory going to the acupuncturist many years ago trying to heal my knee pain. My acupuncturist liked to "strike" the needles after he put on the apporiate points as he believes that the pain can stimulate the blocked points more effectively. The treatments were more painful than the pain itself. That’s my experience with acupuncture. So how does it connect with a city? Is Helsinki suffering from any “illness/pain/blockage”? How acupuncture can heal it? If yes, where would it be? What kind of needle is needed? Who will be the acupuncturist? Who knows?
The theory of acupuncture is to “clear-the-blockage” and to retrieve the balance of a body by putting needles in different parts of a body. Is it blocked physically / mentally / geographically? Could it be the traffic? Maybe not. I’ve never seen traffic jam in Helsinki. Could it be something about the weather condition? I’m stuck at home all day today because of the fierce storm outside. At least it blocks me mentally. If I’m the acupuncturist, how can I heal this situation? Oh! Let’s think!
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