BEHIND THE WALLS – BEIJING CHINA 2015
ART INSTALLATIONS IN PRIVATE HOMES IN SHAYOUKOU VILLAGE BEIJING CHINA.
VILLAGE ARCHITECTURE
Beijing’s traditional village architecture—like the old hutong areas—forms a world within walls.
These walled enclosures, much like the Danish quadrangular courtyard, create a hidden universe
where private life unfolds, sheltered from the outside gaze. High walls, punctuated by ornate yet
often closed gates, define the boundaries between the personal and the public, the known and the
unknown.
BLIND INSTALLATIONS
My work is typically site-specific, shaped by an intimate knowledge of the spaces in which it is installed.
But in Shayoukou, I entered blind—both in language and in place. I did not know whose homes would
open their doors to me, nor what lay beyond the imposing walls that lined the streets. The installations
became a response to this act of discovery, an immediate, intuitive dialogue with the spaces I encountered.
INTRODUCED TO FOUR HOMES
With the help of Mss. Zhang, the museum’s sole employee, and Ma Xin, a Chinese artist, I was introduced
to four private homes. Miss Zhang’s small electric motorcycle carried my unfired ceramic and wood
sculptures through the village streets. The first objects were placed just outside the home—an invitation,
a quiet disruption of the everyday. The villagers gathered, drawn by curiosity. Inside, past the gate and
into the inner courtyard, I let the space guide my hand, positioning my works in the entrance,
the courtyard, and the living room—three thresholds between the private, the semi-private, and the urban.
ATMOSPHERES
Each home offered its own atmosphere, its own silent history. With each installation, I sought to highlight
not only the physical architecture but the intangible moods of these spaces—
the weight of tradition, the intimacy of daily life, the quiet interplay between personal and collective memory.
INVISIBLE THREADS
This project, Behind the Walls, was not just an exploration of private homes but of the invisible threads
connecting the built environment to the people within. It was an attempt to bridge distance—
geographical, cultural, and linguistic—through the universal language of space, form, and presence.
EXHIBITION AT THE MUSEUM
I exhibited with accept from the owner of the homes, the photos taken by the photographer Seungjae Lee and I
and invited the village for the opening.
PHOTO
SEUNGJAE LEE AS COLLABORATIVE PHOTOGRAPHER AND ANJA
MA XIN AS THE ONE MAKING CONTACTS TO THE FAMILIES
FUNDED BY:
THE DANISH ART COUNCIL
THE DANISH CENTRAL BANK ANNIVERSARY FOUNDATION OF 1968
GROSSERER J.L. FOGHTS FOUNDATION
One of the entrances for the homes in a the chinese village – very decorative. Photo Anja
The spaces investigated at the of 5 houses investigated – The entrance area, the courtyard and third the
living room. Drawings Anja
INSTALLATIONS IN HOUSE 3B
Photos above presenting the installations into the courtyard infront of the house of the granny at house 3B.
Photos above presenting installations into the living room of the house of the granny at house 3B.
The entrance was the same as 3A – here the younger part of the familiy lived.
INSTALLATIONS IN HOUSE ONE
Photos above presenting installations into the entrance, the courtyard and the living room of the house 1.
INSTALLATION INTO HOUSE TWO
Photos above presenting installations into the entrance, the courtyard and the living room of the house 2.
INSTALLATIONS INTO HOUSE 3A
Photos above presenting installations into the entrance, the courtyard and the living room of the house 3A.
INSTALLATIONS INTO HOUSE 4
Photos above presenting installations into the entrance, the courtyard and the living room of the house 4.
INSTANT INSTALLATIONS
Installing in the first home, curious nabours entered and invited for their homes also.
That was how I ended up installing in 5 homes.
I was grateful and happy to be invited in for the first time. I did instant installations in their
private homes and then Seungjae Lee and I took photos while Ma Xin spoke with the families.
SEE CATALOG HERE