Good Luck

Stepping on the door threshold in China means bad omen, in old days people would very carefully lift their feet up and step over the door threshold.

For this project, I recreated a situation where this traditional superstition was reenacted. The installation is composed by two components, there is a device placed in the center of the ring and emitting laser light withe a circled outside structure which referenced panopticon. The participants are only allowed to move within the panopticon in one direction, When participant is walking inside the panopticon, they have to avoid touching the invisible line created by the laser emitting device, so they would have to lift their leg and step over just like what people did with door threshold.

If they failed to lift their leg high enough to step over the invisible threshold, which means a bad omen, however, at the same time the monitor machine will say “good luck” to you.

Through this installation and performance, I intend to discuss the invisible disciplines and invisible power structure in our culture and society through a reenacting of traditional superstition.