07/28/2025
WMABAB 紐約訪談來到第五篇——〈地圖上的箭頭：與思颺聊聊〉！
WMABAB interview series #5—Arrows on the map—Interview with Siyang
思颺是目前就讀哥倫比亞大學人類學系的獨立研究者。我們最初因墩墩計畫 結識，該計畫由思颺與梓俊共同發起，透過中國大孟村村民自製的坐具作為媒介，長期記錄當地生活。這次訪談除了談墩墩計畫的演變，也記錄了思颺的研究歷程，以及她目前在美國自然歷史博物館（AMNH）的實習經驗。
思颺也提到一段未被採納的提案——她希望能在博物館中的紫禁城模型圖上，加上一個箭頭，指認當初模型製作者的視角。這個箭頭，原是為了幫助觀眾理解：這個模型為何長這樣？又為何這樣的視角其實並不合理？
我覺得「加上箭頭」很像創作，或是一種創造的展現。透過在現實中放置箭頭，以向他人說明、展示自己的願望，並邀請彼此一起面向那個想要但尚未到來的世界。
這樣的邀請過程並不容易，它牽涉多重層面的勞動與消耗——情緒的、身體的、思想的、語言的、經濟的。但世界各地的箭頭超人仍未停下，他們持續移動身體、學習理解，用箭頭發出對話邀請，試著與彼此的箭頭連結。
這篇想致敬所有的箭頭超人，也歡迎前往substack 閱讀全文。
During traveling in July, I revisited Siyang, an independent researcher currently studying anthropology at Columbia University. We first connected through the Dundun Project , a long-term research initiative co-led by Siyang and Zijun that uses DIY seating made by villagers in Dameng Village, China, as a medium to document their everyday life.
This interview traces the evolution of the Dundun Project but also follows Siyang’s research path and her current internship experience at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH).
Siyang also shared a proposal that was ultimately rejected during her internship — she had suggested adding an arrow to the floor plan of the Forbidden City model in the museum to mark the original viewpoint of the artist who created it. The arrow was meant to help visitors understand why the model looks the way it does, and why that perspective is itself problematic.
To me, “adding arrows” feels like a creative act — a way of placing intention into reality. Through this gesture, one can articulate a desire, communicate it to others, and invite them to collectively face a world that is longed for, but not yet here.
Such invitations are never easy. They demand labor and exhaustion across multiple dimensions — emotional, physical, intellectual, linguistic, and economic. Yet, the arrow carriers continue undeterred. They move their bodies, seek understanding, initiate dialogue, and try to connect their arrows with those of others.
Cheers to all the arrows yet to come. (Read full interview on substack!)
