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"Why should I play a celebrity and live in Beijing for 21 days without spending money?"

From May 1st to May 21st, 2021, I spent 21 days in Beijing without spending money, and I was as elegant as a celebrity. I recorded this behavior through video.

Video "Instant Ownership" 28-minute graduation exhibition version of the Central Academy of Fine Arts (click to watch)

In 21 days, Zou Yaqi dressed herself as a "celebrity" with a fake diamond ring and a fake necklace, mixed into the first-class passenger lounge, rubbed the food in the waiting area of Haidilao, slept on all kinds of sofas, and went to the auction for free...

Zou Yaqi had a buffet in the airport lounge. Photo provided by the interviewee

This image is Zou Yaqi's graduation work Instant Ownership. This summer, she graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts. During the graduation exhibition, the nearly half-hour-long video attracted a lot of attention. As the work was uploaded to the Internet, more and more people began to discuss the work, and even topped the hot search list.

In the face of such experimental works of art, there are naturally different voices: some people think that they are "very shocked", such a discussion is very meaningful; some people think that this is just a "eating and drinking" prank; some people doubt the original intention of creating this work. Recently, she was interviewed by a reporter from Chinanews.com. The following is the transcript of the interview.

Reporter: Instant Ownership has been very popular on the Internet recently. Is this kind of heat you like to see?

Zou Yaqi: I'm quite happy to be seen by more people. I don't think the impact on me is as great as I thought, but I may have a more sense of mission. I will be ready at any time and be more responsible for the next work. I hope my work can be understood by everyone. At least the most tosphemous meaning, which everyone can understand. I hope that all the people can understand it, which is a positioning of my work.

Reporter: But when everyone sees it, they will have a different understanding of the work. You also said on social media that there is a "interpretation against the original intention". What do you think of these different views?

Zou Yaqi: Indeed, some people will think that I may be a real celebrity, understand the rules of the so-called "upper-class society", and then I will do the "real celebrity pretending to be a real celebrity". But in fact, I can also make such a work through my own research, very long-term preparation and psychological construction. I also saw that some people think that this is the embodiment of class solidification, but I think this idea actually hurts the hearts of the public. Of course, this has also become part of the work.

Reporter: You just mentioned that you have made a lot of preparations for this work. What are there?

Zou Yaqi: This work can be traced back to before I was admitted to the Central Academy of Fine Arts. At that time, I also understood the social pressure and thought about it. I also want to make some works. By 2018, I made a pseudo-documentary, pretending that I had lived in Beijing for 7 days, and it took me three days to complete this work. But I don't feel that feeling, it's not strong enough. When I was in the fourth year of college, I told my teacher that I would also do this for my graduation creation. So this is also the content written in my thesis.

I went to many places during the preparation period. I divided my behavior into clothing, food, housing and transportation, that is, where there are free clothes, where there are free places to live, where there is free food, and what modes of transportation I can use.

At that time, I listed each of the four sections involved to find the information. In order to search for some free supplies, I have been preparing for a long time. Including every place I go, there is actually a timetable, such as what time on May 1st to what time I should go, and when I can go there, just like a travel itinerary.

In terms of psychological construction, including that I want to dress up as a very decent, the so-called "celebrit" look. I also referred to some "real celebrities" on social media to see how they will dress up and what their attitude will be. I will make such a psychological construction and carry out early experiments.

These have been used for more than half a year. I even summarized a set of ways for human beings to obtain materials. There are buying, hunting, picking, and if it's worse, it's stealing and robbing. I can't use such a bad way. I may use it through rubbing, and a small scam. Of course, this is not touching the red line of the law, and try not to bring psychological harm and loss to everyone.

Reporter: I noticed that some people on the Internet think that you took advantage of the kindness of others when you completed your creation. What do you think of this statement?

Zou Yaqi: This will happen. From a certain point of view, I just took advantage of the kindness of others. But I usually don't do this. This is also for my work. I think I have to do some sharp things to break the original rules.

After the event, during the exhibition of the work, I spent about 10 days trying to return what I took from this society. For example, I will put a sofa in the exhibition hall, because I have been using the sofa to rest outside. From one sofa to another, they are like an island. I also provide services to everyone in the exhibition hall. For example, I prepared a lot of small pieces of paper at that time. I will ask you to write down your own requirements. I call this "mission must be achieved". If you have something you want to accomplish, I can do it for you. Someone said that I wanted to adopt a dog, so I contacted the place where he adopted the dog. Maybe he really adopted the dog. Others said that you should send 20 bottles of coke to the IKEA staff, so I went to send the IKEA staff a coke, although they didn't want to receive it at that time, because there was no place to put it at work. If you take it back, this is actually part of the psychological construction.

Reporter: What do you want everyone to see through this work?

Zou Yaqi: My work is about the criticism of capitalism and the desire to achieve common prosperity. The final theme is to discuss the relationship between the moment and everything. Many people may see a different side. I am also observing and researching, and I have not reached a very mature and rigorous conclusion at present, and I am also trying.

Reporter: What do you think of the topicality of works of art?

Zou Yaqi: I think the topicality of works of art is necessary. Just like my work, more people will see it when there is a topic. The way we come into contact with art may be completely different in the future than in art galleries and galleries. Now, we can see works of art through short video websites, social media, and the Internet.

I think the work must have a certain degree of topic in order to have a certain degree of dissemination. This view may be related to the generation that we are growing up with the Internet.

Reporter: You just mentioned "the people" and "sense of mission". This kind of word seems to be not common when most people chat. Is this your vocabulary habit?

Zou Yaqi: I graduated from the Experimental Art and Social Art major of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. We must be closely related to this society. This seems to be my own mission and my requirements for myself. But I do do art. The works will be symbolic or poetic, not so sharp.

Reporter: In addition to creation, what are you like in life?

Zou Yaqi: I'm actually not such an outgoing person. Many people may know me because of this work and think that I am a very outward-indert. But in fact, I am relatively introverted. I don't have many friends, but I have a good relationship with every friend.

Some people may think that I am a "real celebrity", but in fact, everyone who knows me knows that I am a person who spends less and can buy good things at a cheap price. In terms of spending money, he is a relatively pragmatic person.

Reporter: Do you think there is any difference between you and your peers?

Zou Yaqi: It's just different. It has always been difficult for me to integrate with you. The differences are quite complicated, and it's quite shy if you want to boast. Maybe I will think differently.

Postscript

Zou Yaqi is really not like the girl who just left school as most people imagine. Unlike many young people who pay more attention to individual fate, she is willing to think about more macro-level issues and talk to reporters about mission, public views, and even common prosperity.

Recently, Zou Yaqi is busy with her new work, an experimental image, which will be exhibited in Japan in October this year. She told reporters that it will show thinking about the opposite relationship between the East and the West, dreams and reality.

She feels that as a new generation of young artists, she and a group of people with similar pursuits have a certain mission. She believes that the Chinese contemporary art they create will occupy a place in the world in the near future. This will be a relatively rapid process.