再雇佣计划 The Rehirement Plan

Based on a series of real-world research, I create a work at end of 2013, and made the physical devices in 2019 with the help of the Japanese art group Maywadenki. this speculative proposal imagines and simulates the scenario of how the social value, self-esteem, and mental well-being of the elderly can be rebuilt in the society of 2060, by which China is estimated to fully enter an era of an ageing society. 

TRP proposes a group of 19 power generators as an effective means to not only strengthen senior citizens’ connections with the society through group sports activities but also provide an opportunity for these so-called twilight-bloomers (referring to the energetic seniors) to retrieve their social value.

This project questions the global phenomenon of marginalization of seniors during the ongoing development of a technology-dependent society. As the ageing problem worsens and the energy crisis continues, a growing number of physically healthy elderly people, especially from Asia, are suffering from a sense of worthlessness and insignificance. It occurs to them when they no longer find what they are implementing to contribute valuable, and when they perceive the disconnection stretching between themselves and the society. Eventually, it results in their sense of losing social value, and therefore posing a threat to their mental health.

This project focuses on the notions of ageing, social value, and group activity effects, aiming to challenge a stereotyped image of the seniors, and explore a possible solution to the problem of social value loss, which an ageing society faces in the foreseeable future.

By encouraging the elderly to participate in the process of generating electricity for the city, this project attempts to not just resolve, but rather serve as a medium for intervening in the society and unfolding broader conversations around the following questions: How can we take advantage of senior citizens’ well-being to mitigate energy problems in an unbalanced society? How can they embrace better social cohesion and recharge their mental health through engaging in collective activities? 

Exhibition:

COC, Shanghai, China

W.I.P group exhibition, London, UK

“Margin of reality” Solo exhibition, Qingdao, China