Liao Gan燎疳

"燎疳" (Liao Gan) is a traditional festival custom in northwest China. After the Spring Festival, people burn old items and step over bonfires to dispel evil, ward off disasters, and pray for good fortune. Born in a small northwest Chinese city, YANN developed a unique interpretation of rituals through 18 years of experiencing "Liao Gan".
In the creative documentation, the dark surroundings during the flickering of flames form a visual blank space, highlighting the sacredness of fire and the sense of ritual. Meanwhile, the silence before and after the ritual, along with different understandings among participants, create blank spaces in terms of process and meaning, enabling viewers to freely fill in their imagination and perception of traditional folklore, and showcasing the inheritance and vitality of "Liao Gan" culture between reality and illusion. The "Liubai" in the "Liao Gan" imagery essentially echoes the core of the "blank space" philosophy. Through the deconstructive strategies of visual blank space, ritual blank space, and cultural blank space, it keeps folklore open to dialogue with the times in a state of "incompleteness".