FAMILY ALBUM
LIVING IN HISTORY
MY MOM’S FAMILY AND ME
My Mother and her elder and younger sister and their parents (my maternal grandparents)Taken in 1976 at the Red Star photo shop in Defense Theatre, Kunming
MY MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS AND ME
Video: 3’20” (PAL) / Variable size / Silent / B&W / 2012 / Edition 6
My father YeYongqing and my mother Fu Liya, taken at home in Kunming in 1984.
Video: 5′ (PAL) / Variable size / Silent /Colour / 2012 / Edition 6
Grandfather：Han Fu
family album #1
My name is Fuhan. I was born in 1926, the lunar calendar January 7th. My ancestral homelands are in the country in Pingshan town, Hebei province, where the central committee of the Communist Party of China was at the time. The new Peoples Republic of China was coming out from this county. I went to an old-style private school when I was young. After a few years the July 7th incident broke out, and the Anti-Japanese War started. I took part in the revolutionary movement at 15, throughout the Anti-Japanese War, War of Liberation and the war to resist the USA and aid Korea and so on. In the army, I concentrated on publicity and education, and secretarial work. I dedicated my life for the Revolution. This is my job. This is my main experience.
About studying….except the old-style private school, I liked studying very much I mainly depended on learning by myself. But after the Chinese Sino-Japanese War victory, I went to school for some time. I had graduated from 19th Corps Military Executives, The PLA’s political Cadre, the Central Party School, and the National Defense University. These schools gave me huge help, but my knowledge mainly relied on learning myself.
Residence…. Because I am a soldier, I have to follow my army to go to everywhere. At the end I located to Kunming. My family is very harmonious. After the Anti-Japanese war victory, I met a little girl. Her name was Feng Airong. At the time, she was a student, and I was a cadre. We were introduced through people, we knew to each other. Our wedding was very simple; just some friends met together to have dinner. Our celebration was chanting and laughing. Then we came back to our own unit. Because of the revolution, we didn’t celebrate the Spring Festival for 10 years, but we still didn’t feel depressed.
In 1949, People’s liberation army entered to our village; I took part in the revolution and found the cause which I dedicated my life to. I had studied in a school that the people’s liberation army arranged for me for one year and knew comrade Fuhan who became my future husband. Then I continued my work and he continued his work in anther organization. So we were spread in different places and united again in 1955. In that year we had our first daughter, then we had a second daughter, finally, we had a last daughter Fu Jingjing in 1963.
My life is full of dull routine, just being a pharmacist…
Grandmother: Airong Feng
Video, 5’51”
Grandfather：Xiuchang Ye
familly album #4
Video, 5’03”
When I was born my father suddenly died when he was 30 years old. So my grandmother and other family members looked after me. As a child, I used to study in a private school, and then I went to the Shade Primary School in Guiyang. After I graduated from the Shade Primary School, I was admitted to Zhongshan Secondary School which was called The War School during that time in Guizzhou Province. I studied there until Grade 3, this was after the liberation of China in 1949.
In 1950, I started to work in the Public Security Executives of Guizhou. We were involved in land reform in Lushan Country of Guizhou Province. And we were assigned by Bijie Police Department to support the construction of three lines in Yunnan Province. It was to support industrial construction, and engaged in geological exploration. I worked in the copper monitoring room of Yunmen, and then we transferred to the monitor room of the exploration company.
1957, I met my wife; We both worked in the same metallurgical apartment. She worked at the Design Institute, and I worked in the exploration company, we got married in 1958. During 1963, or 1964, our department had to support the state’s property, so we transferred to a city called Luoping but my son stayed in the kindergarten. The family financial situation was becoming difficult at the time.
Few years later, I was assigned from Luopin to the Council Building Materials Company, and my wife came with me as well. Our whole family is quite good. Because I worked in this company，we have moved from Xinwen Street to Green Lake. We have lived in Green Lake ever since which is about 40 years.
Grandmother：Wanxin Bao
Familly album #5
Grandmother：Wanxin Bao
familly album #6
Video, 5’03”
When I was young my family were very poor. So I never went to a primary school.
I studied at Qiushi High School in Kunming I was working at the same time and I joined the Communist Youth League. Then I transferred to a factory. Then in factory, I became the chairman of the Trade Union. Then I joined the Communist party until retirement… I participated in the underground organization (national youth league), which belonged to the communist party. Then I retired.
Mother: Liya Fu
familly album #7
Video, 5’03”
When I was born in April 6th, 1957, nobody gave me a name. My neighbor took me to the registry and called me Fu Liya, because it rhymed with the name of my elder sister that was Fu Liping. Then someone thought my name had a foreign flavor…
My father returned home after half of a year. Someone told me that my father’s first impression was that I had a big head but a small body, white and fat, like a tadpole. Since then he always claims that my head has never became bigger from the time I was born.
Mother: Liya Fu
Familly album #8
Video, 2’00”
familly album #9
Video, 7’54”
CSM degree show,2010
Manchester Asian Art Traannual, 2011
“Where are we from? Where are we going?” , Contemporary by Angela Li, Hong Kong，2013
“Research of lost time: Funa Ye Installation &Video Exhibition”, Dialogue Space, Beijing, 2012
“Action⋯Cut! Liu Xinyi, Wang Taocheng, Ye Funa Joint Exhibition”, Yuz Museum, Jakarta