“Integrating the Eastern ideal of shang shan ruo shui—its clarity and virtue—with Western philosophical notions of water as flux and perception.” — Special thanks to Artisle and Chen Quan-chi for the interview.
Artisle Talk｜Marck : The Water of Existence
A: Artisle | M: Marck
A: The exhibition title “Xin Shui (Mind, Water)” / “Das Wasser” juxtaposes the Eastern concept of clarity — “the highest good is like water” — with Western philosophical notions of water as “flux” and “perception.” In this Shanghai exhibition, have you tried to internalize these two cultural perspectives and reflect them in your new works?
M: In my work, I’m less interested in emphasizing contrasts and more in revealing transitions. The Eastern idea of water as a symbol of clarity and letting go has always accompanied me. At the same time, I’m drawn to the Western notion of flow — of constant transformation. In this exhibition in Shanghai, I tried to internalize these two perspectives and express the resulting perceptions through materials, gestures, and rhythm.
M: In my work, I’m less interested in emphasizing contrasts and more in revealing transitions. The Eastern idea of water as a symbol of clarity and letting go has always accompanied me. At the same time, I’m drawn to the Western notion of flow — of constant transformation. In this exhibition in Shanghai, I tried to internalize these two perspectives and express the resulting perceptions through materials, gestures, and rhythm.
M: Water has always been a deeply personal symbol for me. When I film bodies in water, it’s never about appearance, but about states of being — breathing, resistance, dissolution. In Long Tube, I’m interested in the fragile relationship between body and environment, how water both holds and consumes us. It reminds me of our existence today — constantly shifting between control and surrender, between holding on and letting go.
A: In Living in a Deep Square, "depth" and "square" form an intriguing contradiction — depth often points toinner, profound exploration, while the square represents the most regular external form. What kind of life experience do you wish to convey through the floating state in such a unique space?
M: This work came from an inner feeling — the desire to find depth within a space that appears rigid and confined. The square stands for order and stability, yet within its depth something begins to float, almost dreamlike. Perhaps that’s how I see life itself: we move within fixed structures but keep searching for something soft, inner, and fluid that carries us.
A: Could you briefly share your typical creative process? For a series such as the one centered on “water,” how do you develop different pieces from the core concept, and how do you design specific sculptural materials and filming approaches for each?
M: Everything often begins with a single movement, a memory, or a physical sensation. I watch how water behaves, how light touches it, how a body responds. From there, sketches and experiments emerge —sometimes with mistakes, which I’ve learned to embrace. With a theme like “water,” I try to develop each piece from an emotional core. The material — whether metal, glass, video, or body — evolves naturally around that idea.
A: What are your methods for working with performers? Do you, for example, guide actors to perform in water with different obstacles or “shape”, in order to capture those subtle emotional nuances between struggle and toughness?
M: When I work with performers, I’m not looking for representation, but for genuine experience. I invite them to respond to the water — its temperature, pressure, unpredictability. I rarely give direct instructions; instead, I observe how they find their own rhythm. In those moments, something real appears: trembling, floating, surrendering. It’s about trust — between the body, the water, and time itself.
A: You have cited Nam June Paik as an influence, yet his “video sculptures” often emphasize installation and technological spectacle, while your work focuses more on bodily narrative and poetic confinement. How would you describe the core dialectical relationship between moving image and static sculpture in your video sculptures?
M: Nam June Paik showed me that technology can be poetic. But I’ve chosen a quieter path — for me, video is not spectacle but breath. I’m drawn to the state that emerges when moving images encounter sculptural volume.This tension between stillness and motion feels like an inner dialogue: What remains, when everything flows?
A: Your works create a unique “distancing effect” through the juxtaposition of movement and stasis, video imageand physical sculpture. The audience is drawn into this blend of real and unreal, yet also made aware of the work’s boundaries. Are you intentionally guiding viewers to reflect on the very act of looking?
M: Yes, that sense of distance is intentional. I want the viewer to become aware of their own act of looking. When the dynamic overlaps with the static，there’s a brief pause — a kind of awareness. In that moment of uncertainty, when you’re not sure what is real, poetry begins.
A: In Phone Connected, you demonstrate an infinite loop of screen-based gaze, exploring connection and isolation in the digital age. This piece may seem quite different from your “water” series, yet still deals with the boundary between real and virtual. Do you think your work offers viewers insight into distinguishing genuine emotion and connection in an age of proliferating digital virtuality?
M: Phone Connected was a very personal exploration for me. I wanted to understand why we can feel so connected and so isolated at the same time in the digital world. It’s another kind of “water” — a reflective surface where we can lose ourselves. My work always circles back to what feels real: a touch, a gaze, a breath. In a world full of screens, I’m searching for something that remains truly physical.
A: You’ve stressed that “technology is only a means,” therefore realized your final work through hand-castphysical sculpture. In an increasingly tech-dominated era, how do you view the irreplaceable value of the“handmade,” as well as the non-systematic experiences from your early years as a mechanic, electrician, and rock musician?
M: I come from a world where things are built by hand. My early years as a mechanic and electrician taught me that every material has its own will. That awareness has stayed with me. Even when I use technology, I need the physical, the imperfect, the unpredictable. The handmade carries honesty — you can see the breath, the time, even the mistakes. It’s the opposite of perfection, and that’s precisely what makes it meaningful.
A: How do you define the line between “provocation” and “inspiration for reflection” in your work?
M: I never seek provocation for its own sake. For me, it’s a way to open a question. If a work slightly disturbs someone, it means they are present — they’re paying attention. I want my work to invitere cognition, even in uncomfortable places. Provocation is a door opener, not a wall.
A: You’ve said that the purpose of video is “to evoke the audience’s emotions.” Looking back on all your works to date, to what extent do you feel they have also served as a mirror for your own self-exploration and introspection?
M: With each work, I meet myself a new. What I search for in a screen, a sculpture, or a body of water is often something I don’t yet understand within myself. If a work stirs emotion in others, it usually means I’ve let go of something too. Art, to me, is a process of self-discovery — like water, constantly changing, yet always returning to its source.
Exhibition Information
Marck: Das Wasser
Artist
Marck
Exhibition time
2025年11月1日-2026年1月11日
Location
Bluerider ART Shanghai · The Bund
133 Sichuan Middle Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai, China