P004 → art project | A Pond Sample
Installation, exhibition
collaboration work
artists: Jian Guorong, Chen Hang
Foshan China, 2023
The "Mulberry Fish Pond" is a historical method of integrated fish farming and mulberry cultivation on pond embankments in the Pearl River Delta region. It represents an efficient land-use strategy within a human-made ecosystem. Today, it has transitioned into a legendary concept, existing only in the pages of agricultural history. To address the oxygen deficiency in fish fry, the installation of oxygen pumps became necessary, transforming fish farming into an energy-intensive industry. Presently, fish ponds are equipped with solar reflectors for power and shading, completely altering the visual landscape.
We try to reimagine the lost fish ponds from a micro-historical perspective by using the everyday objects a fishman used in the past. Through field sampling of the ambient sounds in the area, coupled with the oral narratives of local people and collected found objects, this work unfolds within a rustic wooden cabin.