Gong Xu

Imagination is probably something like a state of “divine detachment”—you’d need to check a certain encyclopedia for the precise definition. I imagine how a deity observes this world, what troubles the deity might face, and whether it ever thinks, “What on earth have I done?” Especially when completely immersed in nature—standing before a towering, seemingly endless mountain, or gazing across an infinite lake. Collecting these kinds of “imaginings” is actually part of my work. Sometimes, I really don’t want to gather them—imagination is so exhilarating, yet afterward I still have to collect it… it’s exhausting!