Chen Qiulin The Hundred Surnames in Tofu, Huang, 2004-2014 Video Installation 2'15'' Ed.5 Chen Qiulin (b.1975, Yichang City, Hubei Province) isn't an artist who is accustomed to create all works with the same materials. In most of her works, she chooses different materials, some of which seem even strange, such as plastic striped cloth, wastepaper, Tofu, etc. Since 2004, she chose Tofu to create a series of works, all of them were weak and perishable with volatile shape, some of them would even cause upset. The media include photography, performance, video, installation, etc.. As her most recent work, video installation The Hundred Surnames in Tofu includes 100 screens. According to the exhibition area, the number of screens can be adjusted. Food is one of the most important part of the life and culture in a nation, an area and a nationality. As a kind of Chinese food that gets the highest awareness in the world, Tofu has a history of over 2,000 years in China, and is the most important protein source in Chinese traditional food. It's a magic process that the soybeans change into Tofu. During the process, the tiny and round soybeans change into white and weak Tofu with an ambiguous shape, and Chinese people cook Tofu into all kinds of delicious food. Surname is also an important part of a nation and nationality. Every surname is a key link for the individuals to their family and history, Meanwhile, the national and the family's cultural inheritance (history, politic, honor, position, etc.) are contained. As a country with an ancient civilization, China's history of surnames can date back to 3,000 years ago. As a result of the complex history, there are many surnames in China. Chinese people summarize the numerous and ancient surnames as “The Hundred Surnames”. Chen Qiulin craves 100 ancient Chinese surnames with Tofu, and records the whole spoilage process in a video way. During the process, Tofu will be weak, changing its shape, undergoing deterioration and decay, its smell will also change into odor instead of fragrance, the whole process will even cause upset. In the unique way of video, the artist composes a lament to the gradually fading traditional culture in the rapidly changing modern society. Chen Qiulin is always insterested in the changing things as time passes. It makes her works diverse and open, and full of her sorrow and skeptical attitude. In the meantime, the public problems of personal memory, experience expression, consuming, identity, etc. are always contained in her creation. "We don't know what we have forgotten, cause it's forgetting itself." (Chen Qiulin)
