The Invention of the Dragon
I began searching for an image that most accurately represents the symbol of Chinese patriotism, an image enforced by mainstream narratives but fundamentally a construct.The dragon, promoted as a symbol of the Chinese people, is a fabricated concept rather than an existing reality. The Chinese people are regarded as the descendants of the dragon, but in truth, this notion has only been propagated over the last hundred years by intellectuals and revolutionaries.
In “The Invention of the Dragon”, I use the dragon's image to deconstruct this symbol. The publication features transparent pages printed with cultural artifacts from various minority groups that historically inhabited the territories now known as China.When these transparent pages are folded together, they form the image of a dragon, symbolizing the unified yet constructed mainstream narrative. However, as one flips through the pages, the dragon's image dissects into multiple, undermined narratives.