Wang Tuo
| Captive Tuning
| Video
|
Single channel 4K video (color, sound)
|
00:17:05
|
2016
Captive Tuning portrays a seemingly peaceful and mundane afternoon in an American family. The female protagonist is imprisoned by the male protagonist in their country house. The emotional relationship between them is full of tension but remains ambiguous and indeterminate. The two characters do not engage in any verbal interaction, but their nonverbal conversations persist. As they sit down for their afternoon tea, the artist uses the sound of piano tuning to continue their silent interaction. In this work, the sound of piano tuning in the first half of the video implies the psychological activities of the characters. Towards the end, "Perfect Day" by Lou Reed creates the illusion of ambiguous emotions. The female protagonist then sings along, suddenly stopping at the final chorus. The reality of the dream is thus revealed.