The Ruins of Lost Souls​

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Photo Collage

2023-ongoing

The Ruins of Lost Souls is a photo collage series inspired by my research in traditional taboo, bodily discrimination and outcasts during the process of creating my previous work The Skeletons in the Closet. (https://www.hungchingyan.com/the-skeletons-in-the-closet)

 

With reference of the symptoms of my family’s genetic disorder- Marfan Syndrome, I have created collaged images with AI generative elements, my body and other props. There are two main visual elements in this series, pigeon and spider, which represent MFS patients as they are also called 'Pigeon Men' or 'Spider Men' due to their long and curved bodily characteristics. Because of this, MFS patients are usually identified as abnormal people in society. In my family, I’m the only one who have not inherited such a disorder. This makes me question on my identity within my family, and on the definition of ‘normality’ based on the theory of traditional physiognomy.

 

By performing with pigeon masks and spider props in different abandoned sites in Hong Kong, I try to learn the feeling of being classified as social outcasts. I challenge the idea of eugenics by judging people by their external conditions, and its influences and adaptation to the history of racism.