Wanlin Jiang
P001 → The Secret Language of Plants in Gushi: Another Possibility of Language, 2025, Wanlin
The cluster-style stone houses of Gushi Village not only feature distinctive architectural styles but also blend harmoniously with the surrounding natural environment, creating a unique rural landscape. Various plant species coexist seamlessly with the traditional architecture in this area.
During her residency, artist Wanlin Jiang collected a wide variety of local plant species from Gushi Village, recording, categorizing, and symbolizing them to create plant texts that are readable by humans.
By drawing on scientific research methods, she efficiently and accurately enriched the plant language archive, weaving the complexity of the village's flora into a diverse artistic expression.
Currently, only a portion of the work is being presented, with ongoing research and organization aimed at creating a more comprehensive archive of the plants of Gushi Village in the future.
Medium: Mixed media installation
黄岐古石村的集群式石头古厝不仅展现了独特的建筑特色，还与周围的自然环境融为一体，形成独特的乡村景观。不同植物在这里与传统建筑和谐共存。
艺术家江宛霖在驻地期间，从古石村收集了大量当地特有植物，并对它们进行了记录、分类、符号化，最终创作成人类可阅读的植物文本，并借鉴科学家的研究方法，高效且准确地丰富了植物语言档案，将古石村植物的复杂性融入艺术语言的多元表达之中。
目前仅呈现部分内容，后续还将持续研究梳理，生成更完整的古石植物档案。
媒介： 多媒材装置
The Secret Language of Plants in Gushi · Documentary (2025), 5’45’’
A behind-the-scenes video documenting Wanlin Jiang’s plant collection, creative process, and reflections during her time in Gushi Village, PRC.
Exhibition view of The Secret Language of Plants in Gushi: Another Possibility of Language, installed in Gushi Village, Fujian, PRC (2025).
Medium: Mixed media installation
The exhibition The Secret Language of Plants: Another Possibility of Language was presented in Gushi Village, Fujian, PRC (2025)
Through plant specimens, collected village objects, and field records, the artist created a space of empathetic connection with plants.
In the soft natural light, villagers lingered, observed, and exchanged thoughts — the exhibition space became a brief refuge for the language of plants.
Homeland Magazine Interview | Decoding the "Plant Language" of Gushi Village, Issue 181
Homeland Magazine, Let More People Understand the Language of Plants in Gushi, Issue 181, December 2024, PRC
1. Seeking a Place to Explore the Secrets of Plant Language
I have always been in search of a place where I could deeply explore the language of plants and the secrets they hold. A close friend recommended the "Echoes of Gushi" residency program in Gushi Village, Fujian. Surrounded by cliffs and facing the sea, its unique environment captivated me. While in the UK, I frequently visited botanical gardens and learned much about European horticultural culture. In contrast, the plants in Gushi Village are entirely different—they thrive tenaciously in extreme environments like cliffs, coastlines, and saline‑alkali lands. I was eager to understand how they interact with the surrounding world. The primitive and tranquil nature of Gushi Village deeply attracted me; I felt it was a place where I could focus on creation and explore the diversity of plant language.
2. Artistic Practice Rooted in Plants
My creations have always been based on plants. Just as their roots extend outward, my work touches upon various media, including installations, printmaking, books, bookbinding, and experimental videos, integrating these materials into a more extensive "plant language system." I often use an analogy to explain the gap between humans and "plant language": it's like switching from your native Mandarin to English—if your English isn't fluent, many ideas remain unexpressed. Language serves as a bridge for communication between people and between humans and all things. I believe that through art, we can build this bridge, fostering deeper understanding between humans and plants. If we can comprehend the "characters" of plants, we can naturally gain a more profound understanding of them. Upon arriving in Gushi Village, I hoped to explore the plant language of the village, allowing visitors to "read" and feel the inner mysteries of these plants.
3. From Random Collection to Systematic Field Research
In 2019, I created a work titled Last Words, a book devoid of human language, composed instead of plant symbols like fallen leaves to form a "plant language." However, my previous plant collections were more random. This time, I aimed for a more systematic, field‑research approach. My usual creative habit is to plan within a "rational framework" and then let myself freely express. So, upon arriving at a new place, I first observe and feel before gradually integrating these experiences into concrete plans. After reaching Gushi Village, I spent two weeks observing the entire village. Based on my perceptions of the village's space and plants, I divided it into several areas: stone‑wall crevices within the village, surrounding coastal cliffs, abalone farms and small docks, and the parking lot at the village entrance. These areas differ significantly in terrain, salinity, moisture, and other aspects. During the "Site" course at the Royal College of Art in the UK, I learned how to quickly research and classify unfamiliar environments and draw inspiration from them. The scale of Gushi Village was just right for such practice, allowing me to apply what I had learned for deeper exploration and testing.
4. The Intensive Process of Plant Collection
During the two‑month residency, plant collection consumed much of my energy and time. Initially, I wanted to invite villagers to collect plants with me, but most were elderly, and considering the potential risks of field collection, I decided to proceed alone. Every day, I carried a basket and scissors, following planned routes to collect plants. In the evenings, I would spread out the day's findings in the residency studio, classify them one by one, and press them into newspapers. Using bricks and stones to weigh them down, after three to four weeks and multiple newspaper changes, I could create dried plant specimens. Each time I uncovered the newspaper and saw the leaves transformed from fresh to flattened forms, I felt a sense of healing—similar to the feeling of villagers harvesting crops after working in the fields. I then placed the specimens into boxes of different sizes, categorizing them according to the areas of Gushi Village. As the collection grew, I marveled at how such a small village could harbor such a rich diversity of plants.
5. Integrating Rational Logic with Emotional Expression
I have always enjoyed visiting museums, where exhibitions are presented in a rational and orderly manner. In Gushi Village, I aimed to incorporate similar "rational logic" into my artistic creations, blending it with more emotional expressions to present the "plant language archive" of the village. During the exhibition setup, I combined plants with old objects collected from Gushi Village, displaying them on a white wall in the Two Mountains Memory Hall. In front of the wall stood an eight‑tiered display cabinet, each layer corresponding to an area of Gushi Village, showcasing plants from that region. This arrangement allowed the wall to emphasize emotional expression, while the cabinet highlighted rational classification. Whether visitors were tourists or art professionals, this dual‑track approach enabled them to understand the village's plants more intuitively and deeply.
6. Unearthing Stories Through Old Objects
The old objects were gradually discovered during the residency. When visiting the homes of elderly villagers, I noticed their interior decorations varied—calendars, mirrors, and other items adorned the walls, exuding a strong sense of local life. This inspired me to create daily‑life scenes using old objects, combined with Gushi Village's plants for exhibition. During the residency, many parts of the village were under renovation, with original furniture and miscellaneous items scattered in the ruins. I salvaged some from construction sites, while others were purchased or exchanged with the elderly villagers. As tourism development progresses, local native items are gradually disappearing. These old objects reflect the real changes in Gushi Village. Each material and item carries a unique story; the materials themselves "speak." When gathered together, they almost narrate a long story belonging to Gushi Village, adding a strong sense of place to the entire work.
7. Challenges and Support in a Rural Setting
Exhibiting in the village differs significantly from city art museums. When needing specific materials, even a trip to the town might not yield suitable items, and online orders take a long time to arrive, requiring repeated testing. If unsuccessful, alternative solutions must be found. Initially, I hoped to have the display cabinet custom‑made, but it was challenging to find a carpenter in the village. Not knowing what the final work would look like, I had to adapt flexibly. Some elements couldn't be completed on time, so I had to simplify and retain the most critical parts. Fortunately, Lifeng Chen, artist friends, and staff from Village North Village South and Homeland continuously helped us coordinate resources, ensuring the exhibition was successfully presented.
8. Continuing the Exploration: Towards a "Plant Genealogy"
I am still organizing this batch of plant data, vectorizing and visualizing it, and plan to advance to versions 2.0 or 3.0 in the future. Whether through exhibitions or small‑scale sharing, I hope to bring these plants to more places. During my time in the village, I saw the Chen family genealogy at Grandma Liu Shanying's home. The book's format, binding, cloth cover, and family lineage were all worth referencing. I want to continue using the logic of genealogy to organize Gushi Village's plants, creating a "plant genealogy" unique to the village. Given the limited residency time, the display cabinet could only present a preliminary showcase. This is perhaps the greatest charm of the residency: it can inspire creations and ideas from years ago, prompting you to conduct phased tests and continue in‑depth research on the subject in the future.
9. A Residency That Felt Like Living in the Village
Over these two months, I feel it's more appropriate to call it a "village stay" rather than an "art residency," as it better reflects the sense of life in Gushi Village. The village is small and not particularly convenient; going to the town to buy things or bring supplies requires mutual assistance, fostering close connections between people. Later, I often went to the town to replenish various materials. Sometimes, I felt that Huangqi Town and Gushi Village were both similar and different—Gushi Village has many unique textures. Daily life here often involved non‑verbal communication with the elderly villagers, yet we could still connect through eye contact and smiles. Even after leaving, I still recall many scenes and think of the somewhat lonely but eager‑to‑share elders. For instance, the thick genealogy at Grandma Liu Shanying's home, the stairs and cabinets with the scent of old wood, and Grandma Wang Jujun inviting us to eat zongzi, pulling us into her bedroom to see old watches, small drawers, and many beloved items hanging on her mosquito net.