Dash World is an exploded view of a major conflict in Asia,

empowered by the use of sand as a geopolitical tool. The

installation is an observatory of layers enclosed by silent

dredging and man made islands. As you approach the

enlightened landscape, you discover the narrow relation

between the vertical and horizontal dimension, key to the

situation. While the width regulates the legal territories and

their surfaces, the height introduces the legal existence of a

territory. Sand is central. As a natural material used for land

reclamation, it creates a blurry line between natural and

artificial. Artificial islands are made of sand and technology,

therefore, they question our understandings of nature as

external to humans. Through dredging, giant boats elevate

and expand territories to the level of validity.

Artificial islands can not be new territories as it is

understood in UNCLOS law of sea, but are part of a long and

deeply rooted process of creating a Chinese truth. In 1947,

China justified its claim territory in the South China Sea

with an eleven-dash line found on an ancient map and, thus,

challenged international relations in this region where most

marine shipping routes pass through.

Dash World creates an atmosphere where different elements

subtly communicate with each other— where the vagueness of

history confronts the strict rules of contemporary law.