May You Live in Interesting Times
1997
colour, stereo, 60 min.
English, Spanish, French, Dutch language versions
Fiona Tan was born in Indonesia from an Indonesian-Chinese father and an Australian mother, and as such May You Live in Interesting Times is Tan’s most autobiographical work to date. It traces the history of the Tan family. In a documentary style, the work critically analyzes the construction of (her own) identity, but also investigates the identity of the Overseas Chinese and delves into their diaspora. Through various testimonies relating some of the history and the present day situation of the family and its individuals, a journey is made which leads from The Netherlands to Germany, Australia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and China, where the original ‘Tan-village’ is found. Although every inhabitant of this place carries the Tan name, the artist herself feels that she will never be able to feel at home there. May You Live in Interesting Times, displays how personal and political history, migratory movements and cultural background modifies the perception of identity. Although the myths of an original culture may persist, it inevitably gets transformed and even abandoned across time.
Brief description - Spanish
Que vivas en tiempos interesantes
Fiona Tan
Vídeo HD, color, estéreo, 60 min.
Una de las líneas de investigación de Fiona Tan es el entrecruzamiento de culturas fruto de la inmigración fomentada por el colonialismo. En May You Live in Interestíng Times – su pieza más abiertamente autobiográfica – traza la historia de su familia e investiga la identidad de la sociedad china fuera de su país. Utiliza un lenguaje abiertamente documental para cuestionar la construcción de la identidad reuniendo distintos testimonios y opiniones. Con todo ello reflexiona sobre cómo los movimientos migratorios influyen en la cultura de lo cotidiano y en los cambios de concepción de diferentes paradigmas: cómo permanece el mito de una cultura originaria, cómo se transforma, cómo se abandona, cómo se niega y cómo se recupera.