"Located in the Yangtze River Delta, Hangzhou is enmeshed in waterways. The city's center abuts a large lake and sits just north of the Qiantang River, infamous for its magnificent tidal bore that sweeps through the region each fall. For their latest project presented in the Hangzhou Triennial of Fiber Art at Zhejiang Art Museum, Jin Choi and Thomas Shine merged aspects of this local environment and culture with their distinctive process."
""Distance" comprises crocheted sculptures representing all 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac. "As society evolves, [the zodiac] continues to find relevance, connecting to the wisdom of the past and the shared narratives that shape our identities today," the artists write. "Its legacy, with its rich symbolism, cultural significance and unifying power, will endure as a navigational tool in the current and future social shifts.""
Choi + Shine Architects created a suspended crocheted installation featuring all 12 Chinese Zodiac animals. The installation hangs above a reflective surface evoking dark water and references Hangzhou’s lake and the Qiantang River tidal bore. Choi designs the motifs while Shine engineers the structural framework, with local communities crocheting lace elements. Each animal appears through isolated formal elements—a horn-like tube for the ox, a fan-like plume for the rooster—rather than full figurative representation. The circular structure shifts depending on viewer perspective, breaking legible visual order and creating changing relations. The zodiac’s enduring symbolism and cultural resonance provide navigational meaning amid social change.
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