Preview:
LET'S CLAP !
Digital Video
Variable time
In “Let’s Clap”, Tianyi Zhang visited hundreds of passers-by in Hunan, China. She told them she was an artist, and she needed to collect some clapping videos to make a project. Many people accepted her request and applauded in front of Zhang’s camera. She then edited different people’s clapping gestures and sound together to create an installation. Through this installation, she represents the individual’s reaction to collective behavior. In addition, Zhang saved the process of communicating with participants to keep them clapping till the end of the shot. The interesting parts of the communication and people’s reflection all show in the video, Can You Clap for Me? I Am An Artist.
Zhang uses this project to demonstrate how people react when they are instructed to do what they are accustomed to, while discussing the influence of pedagogy and stereotyped thinking. Clapping is a simple habitual action, and causes a domino effect in groups. It holds certain meaning in some situation, but in Zhang’s project, the gesture become meaningless. People performed this very common gesture with minimal motivation and only Zhang’s instruction. Under Zhang’s lens, the way participants’ responded to the prompt reflects people’s instinct thinking to an unexpected order. Some obeyed Zhang’s request because of her claim to be an artist, some were intrigued to bring their authentic emotion for this project, and some merely followed the crowd…