Tarnishing Purity

Handmade delicate veils blowing in the wind were filmed from both outside and inside cave entrances — red veils were filmed from inside, white veils from outside. At the exhibition, this is presented as a video installation.

The veil is a cultural icon of concealed beauty and virginity. By obstructing the cave entrances with veils, the film shot from outside represents society’s view of the recent discovery of the caves—they are virgins to unveil. However, the view from inside the caves looking out through red veils represents nature’s hesitation to welcome mankind into its secrets. The paired films form a narrative about development and resistance that powerfully shows the conflict of exposure to newly discovered pristine sites.