“Counting from 1 to 100” is a video installation work.  The video image depicts a close-up of my head which is reflected in a mirror (self-reflection).  It shows the process of me counting from 1 to 100 and drawing dots regularly with ink using a Chinese brush.  I then wipe out the dots with my finger.  In the first round of counting, the ink dots are lined from left to right and from top to bottom.  There are 10 rolls, each with 10 dots.  Finally, the 100 dots cover my entire face.  In the second round of counting, I wipe away the dots with my finger, starting from the last one I have drawn.  When I recite “1” , what can actually be seen on the mirror image is that “99” dots are left.  When I count to 100, what can be seen is “0”.  I deliberately cause the sound and image of the numeral concept to mismatch so as to break the inertia of perception.  However, this “0” is not equivalent to “nothing” in the beginning because even though I try to wipe off the dots, traces of the dots can still be seen.  My face remains covered by mottled ink.

The idea of this work originated from my experience in teaching my son to count numbers.  As a perceptual activity, learning often begins with the use of sensory information.  In this case, are the sound of counting and the image of drawing dots with ink.  The sensory information forms experience and memory in the sensory system.  After repeated practice, it is reinforced and becomes a structural, general and applicable concept.  However, conception that has already been formed often becomes preconception which can restrict the openness of sensory activities.  Therefore, learning should include a process of unlearning.  Of course, it is impossible to totally wipe off knowledge that one already possesses.  Learning and unlearning is always a continuous interactive process.

In “Counting from 1 to 100”, there is much repetition and overlapping of imagery and media.  My own appearance becomes a mirror image reflected in the mirror as a medium.  The ink dots deposited on the mirror cause the mirror image to become an incomplete self (covered by ink dots) when it enters my vision.  This incomplete self is represented through the medium of video and becomes an image which can be interpreted by others (the audience).  The meaning of the work keeps evolving through the interaction of repetition, overlapping imagery and media.

《數數1-100》是一件錄像裝置作品，影像部份是我在鏡中反映的頭部特寫(自我的觀照self reflection)，顯示一個一邊唸數(由1至100)，一邊在自己的鏡像之上用毛筆有規律地繪寫墨點，然後又以手指抹拭的過程。第一輪唸數，墨點由左至右，由上至下，每行十點，一共十行，最終覆蓋整個面容。接著第二輪唸數，則由最後繪寫的一點開始，一一用手指抹拭，當口唸「1」時，鏡像之上，實際看到是餘下的「99」，唸到「100」，看到的卻是「0」(故意令數目的概念在聲音與影像上出現錯配，以打破認知的慣性)。但這個「0」又不等於開始時的「沒有」，因為即使試圖抹掉，仍有抹之不去的痕跡，面容仍被斑駁的墨跡所遮蓋。

作品的意念源自教導我兒子數數的經驗，學習作為一種知覺活動，很多時是透過感官訊息的輸入(數數的聲音及繪寫墨點的影像)開始，感官訊息在知覺系統內形成經驗與記憶，再經反覆提取練習而強化reinforce為具有結構性、普遍性與應用性的概念(亦即知識)，但已形成的概念conception，很多時又會變為一些先入為主之見preconception，局限了知覺活動的開放性，故此，學習就應該包括一個忘掉已有知識unlearn的過程，而這過程往往由自我觀照self reflection(以我自己的鏡中反影為借喻)開始。當然，已有知識不可能完全忘掉，學習新知識與忘掉已有知識learn and unlearn，永遠都是一個互動不休的過程。

影像與媒介，在《數數1-100》中經過多重的反覆，我自已的容貌經鏡(作為一個媒介)的反映而成鏡像，繪寫在鏡上的墨點，令鏡像映入我的視覺時，又成為一個不完全的我(被墨點覆蓋)，這不完全的我以錄像媒介呈現，成為一個被他者(觀眾)詮釋的影像，作品的意義，亦在這多重反覆的影像與媒介中不斷推演。