2010 Spiritual Realm (video)
VB-0036-009, 2010
Group – Male: 2’44”, PAL, 640 x 360, sound, color
Group – Female: 2’42”, PAL, 640 x 360, sound, color
Cui Xiuwen’s Spiritual Realm is a conceptual video work featuring 22 individual videos, each portraying a subject’s journey into a deeply introspective, spiritual state. These subjects were chosen after extensive testing from a group of around 100 people, each needing a specific sensitivity or natural inclination towards spiritual depth, which Cui describes as an ability to enter a “spiritual realm.” This capacity was unrelated to background, education, or experience; instead, it was an innate ability. Among the selected were art models, part-time actors, and regular individuals from various professions, making the work a collage of diverse human perspectives unified by shared vulnerability.
During the sessions, participants entered a minimal, empty studio setting, illuminated by blinding stage lights. The setup ensured they could not see those around them, creating an isolated environment that allowed them to detach and fully immerse in their inner states. To help each model enter the required mental space, Cui encouraged them to abandon physical consciousness and follow their thoughts without inhibitions, treating the body as an extension of the mind’s journey rather than a focal point of attention. Interestingly, each individual’s experience varied greatly: some quickly transitioned in and out of the spiritual state, while others remained deeply immersed, even unresponsive to external calls, for extended periods.
Each video segment was unique in length, determined by how long the subject could maintain their meditative state. For instance, one teenage participant, embodying innocence and sensitivity, reported feeling both helpless and uplifted, imagining himself sprouting angelic wings. Others described their experience as a place of peace and freedom, expressing reluctance to return to the realities of daily life.
The work was installed at the Today Art Museum in Beijing, where it took on monumental proportions: each individual video projection was four meters high, surrounding viewers with images of individuals lost in their spiritual pursuits. The space’s 12-meter-high walls intensified the immersive experience, allowing viewers to confront the introspective journeys of the subjects almost as if they were observing private rituals. Some visitors reported feeling moved to tears by the raw authenticity on display, resonating with the universal themes of vulnerability, freedom, and connection that the subjects’ journeys evoked.
In essence, Spiritual Realm is less about visual spectacle and more an exploration of human spirituality’s quiet depths, touching on themes of detachment, identity, and transcendence. By capturing ordinary people in a state of raw self-reflection, Cui challenges viewers to question their own spiritual awareness and the extent to which they have connected with the deeper aspects of their humanity. This work not only pays homage to traditional Chinese spiritual values but also places these timeless concepts within the framework of modern identity and introspection.
（Text Provided by the Artist）
Male Group
Female Group
