Every Thought I’ve Ever Had—There is suffering there, too Exhibition
Video Installation
Tung Jit Yang
2023 Every Thought I’ve Ever Had is a two-channel video installation inspired by the phrase “the eyes are the windows to the soul” and the expressive art form of Butoh. The work questions our capacity for empathy and challenges our ability to truly see through the eyes of another in a world overwhelmed by distractions and spectacle.
Presented as part of the exhibition 『そこにも、苦がある。』 (There is suffering there, too) at the Meguro Museum of Art in Tokyo, it also reimagines an earlier work of the same title from 2022.
The work consisted of two 15-minute videos displayed on TV screens opposite each other. One video featured a close-up of a person’s eyes as they silently navigated their thoughts and emotions. The other presented a montage of clips from various media sources, including film excerpts with dialogue referencing eyes or themes of seeing. Positioned between the two screens, the viewer is compelled to choose which video to focus on and which to ignore—raising the question: how does one choose, and why? And ultimately, how much—and what—does one truly see?
Photos courtesy of Zhang Yangyu (curator).
Exhibition Website