Practice:
Rotterdam, The Netherland
Mediums:
Films, Ceramics, Installations
Website:
https://benjaminli.nl
Rotterdam, The Netherland
Mediums:
Films, Ceramics, Installations
Website:
https://benjaminli.nl
Image courtesy of the artist
It seems that the idea of Heritage
plays an important role in your practices, especially in relation to the restaurant in
Amsterdam and the Chinese community. What motivates you to explore this concept of
heritage? Why did you decide to revisit old elements of the past?
Benjamin Li: I think it's a very personal motivation for me. My parents owned a restaurant and migrated to the Netherlands. They worked in restaurants and eventually owned one, but they stepped out of the restaurant business, particularly the Chinese restaurant, about 20 years ago. Although they still work in the food industry, it's not connected to Chinese cuisine. Growing up, I was raised by a Dutch foster mother, so I felt more connected to my Dutch background than my Chinese Heritage. The way I think, speak, and behave is different from other Chinese people I observe. This difference was challenging for me while growing up. Initially, I had a conflicted relationship with my Chinese Heritage because my parents had to give me and my brothers to a Dutch foster mother while they worked in the restaurant. So, there was always a struggle between embracing my heritage and distancing myself from it. In a way, I felt ashamed of my Chinese background, and you could say I was "whitewashed" to some extent.
More discussions:
Do you identify the usage of old elements as a theoretical concept or evidence which are static documentation?
Can old elements be trend sensitive? Would it be productive to deploy them in response to different current trends?
Full interview: LINK
Benjamin Li: I think it's a very personal motivation for me. My parents owned a restaurant and migrated to the Netherlands. They worked in restaurants and eventually owned one, but they stepped out of the restaurant business, particularly the Chinese restaurant, about 20 years ago. Although they still work in the food industry, it's not connected to Chinese cuisine. Growing up, I was raised by a Dutch foster mother, so I felt more connected to my Dutch background than my Chinese Heritage. The way I think, speak, and behave is different from other Chinese people I observe. This difference was challenging for me while growing up. Initially, I had a conflicted relationship with my Chinese Heritage because my parents had to give me and my brothers to a Dutch foster mother while they worked in the restaurant. So, there was always a struggle between embracing my heritage and distancing myself from it. In a way, I felt ashamed of my Chinese background, and you could say I was "whitewashed" to some extent.
More discussions:
Do you identify the usage of old elements as a theoretical concept or evidence which are static documentation?
Can old elements be trend sensitive? Would it be productive to deploy them in response to different current trends?
Full interview: LINK