Wonderland from catherine Hyland on Vimeo.
Wonderland Series
Wonderland is an abandoned structure left over after funding was cut on another of China’s legion of newly developed tourist attractions. The project first began in 1998 but with developers and local farmers still unable to reach an agreement over the rights of the land, the discarded structures of the half built theme park have remained dispersed and vacant throughout empty cornfields for over a decade. The aim of the Wonderland developers was to create the biggest theme park in Asia, set to cover 120 acres of land. Adopted by the locals, these dilapidated skeletons now exist as unconventional playgrounds within the town. Concrete objects that somehow become more remarkable due to the ever-present option of a direct comparison, between reality and representation.
Trapped in limbo, a hybrid space between the ‘real’ and the artificial, this environment induces a sense of transformation or manipulation that appears to permeate and displace the realm of fantasy. Tamed by the locals, the uncompleted remnants of Wonderland become the antithesis of everything it was supposed to be, its value altered permanently.
catherine hyland
I am an artist living in London. I graduated from Chelsea College of Art and Design with a First class BA (Hons) Degree in Fine Art. I am currently completing my Masters in Communication Art and Design at the Royal College of Art. I also work as a Freelance Photographer/Filmmaker. Please contact me if you would like to talk about a commission.
