Urban Orphans

 

 

Urban orphans

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installation
2024
metal tube, digital printing, 3D print

170 x 36 x 150 cm

London

 

But we can't recall clearly anymore

Only remember once gazing eagerly, an indescribable wait

Until memories from years ago collapsed

Striking precisely at this moment

Our chests 

 

This installation draws inspiration from the stories of left-behind children in urban areas. It serves as both a reminder and a form of resistance, urging us not to forget the emotional harm inflicted by society on its most vulnerable members. The work stands as a protest against the systems that produce these urban orphans, while simultaneously offering a space for self-healing. Through this piece, painful memories are confronted and transformed into forces of resistance and recovery.

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Chengyu Yao collected stories from more than ten volunteers, reconstructing and piecing together fragmented memories in an attempt to restore the unspeakable traumas hidden in ambiguity and absence. Through images and structures built from recollection, she creates a space of resonance and healing—inviting the viewer, through quiet contemplation, to re-understand the scars of both themselves and others.

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