Lisbon Dreaming

Background: This project applied a digital mobile research methodology to investigate how Australian perceptions of distance & mobility have been reshaped by the global pandemic. Since the 1990s the mobilities turn in sociology has articulated the ways in which the 21st century was shaping up to be the most mobile century. As David Cairns et al. (2021) have noted: the global pandemic problematised types of corporeal travel creating what could be called an ‘immobility turn’. Australia’s geographic isolation, combined with long-term border closures and long urban lockdowns, makes site-responsive research into COVID immobilities particularly pertinent. Contribution ‘Lisbon Dreaming’ is an intimate work comprised of four cross-stitched images from Google Street View and a 3.5min video which juxtaposes my memories of travel and connection with international strangers alongside photos of me walking through locked-down Melbourne carrying the textile works. In doing so, the research revealed how perceptions of Australia’s geographic proximity have always varied depending on people’s access to mobility and country of origin. Significance: ‘Lisbon Dreaming’ was shortlisted for the Wangaratta Contemporary Textile Award and exhibited at the Wangaratta Art Gallery in 2021. It was one of three works in the exhibition selected as a featured work and supported by an artist talk. It will also be included as a visual essay in ‘Dystopian and Utopian Impulses in Art Making: The World We Want’ edited by Grace McQuilten and Daniel Palmer (2023).

背景：本研究采用数字移动研究方法（digital mobile research methodology），探究全球疫情如何重塑了澳大利亚民众对距离与移动性的认知。自20世纪90年代起，社会学领域的移动性转向（mobilities turn）已系统阐明：21世纪正成为人类历史上移动性最强的世纪。正如大卫·凯恩斯（David Cairns）等学者（2021）所言：全球疫情使肉身出行（corporeal travel）的多种形式面临合法性质疑，进而催生了可被称为“非移动性转向（immobility turn）”的现象。澳大利亚兼具地理孤立性与长期边境关闭、城市长时段封控的现实背景，使得针对新冠疫情背景下的非移动性开展场景响应式研究（site-responsive research）显得尤为切题。研究贡献：《里斯本之梦》（Lisbon Dreaming）是一部兼具私密性的艺术作品，由四张取自谷歌街景（Google Street View）的十字绣图像与一段3.5分钟的视频构成；作品将我与异国陌生人旅行、建立联结的回忆，与我携带着该纺织作品穿行于封城时期墨尔本的影像并置。通过该创作与研究路径，本研究揭示：澳大利亚的地理亲近性认知始终因个体的移动能力与出身国而异。研究意义：《里斯本之梦》于2021年入围旺加拉塔当代纺织奖（Wangaratta Contemporary Textile Award），并于旺加拉塔美术馆（Wangaratta Art Gallery）展出；该作品亦是本次展览中获评精选作品的三件参展作品之一，并配套举办了艺术家导览讲座。此外，该作品还将以视觉随笔的形式，被收录于格雷丝·麦奎尔滕（Grace McQuilten）与丹尼尔·帕尔默（Daniel Palmer）主编的2023年出版物《艺术创作中的反乌托邦与乌托邦冲动：我们所向往的世界》（Dystopian and Utopian Impulses in Art Making: The World We Want）中。