Escape
Ruoyi Shi, 2021
video,
4’32’’
a LA -based interdisciplinary artist whose work explores the interface between nature and artificial existence, as well as the notion of truth and its fabrication.
I stayed at a farm a few years ago. One morning, two pigs from our barn managed to squeeze themselves through the slim gap between the fences and escaped. Neighbors used apples to help me lure them back, and we almost failed for not having enough apples.
Their fluffy souls were filled with the spirits of rebellion and adventure.
I was told that they always wanted to sneak out. Thus I decided to help them with my Escaping Guide, starting with a Compass-making Tutorial. With the kitchenware I gathered and the small fragments I collected from the farm, the direction North can be easily found, and they will no longer get lost.
Remember:
The ponds are shallow.
The woods are deep.
The meadows are wet and muddy.
The receivers are frozen.
The man made paths loop around.
The little cabins are deserted; only burnt cigarettes remain.
The nights are dark, cold and long.
Don’t trust the sheep, the chicken, the cats, or the horses,
especially not the goats—
I am scared of the square-shaped pupils in their eyes.
I suspect they have swallowed many tickets and maps.
Make sure you know your directions.
I prepared you something in this suitcase.
Follow the directions.
It is about time.