When principles are framed and generalized as knowledge, how do we view everything when the unknown remains infinite?

The title, The South is Infinite Yet Finite, comes from a section called “Tian Xia 天下” (Under Heaven) from Zhuangzi, where Zhuangzi and Hui Shi engage in a debate in the 3rd century BCE. Hui Shi posed ten questions to test Zhuangzi’s views, using different examples to explore the relativity and non-absoluteness of things. There are bounds to North and South, thus they are finite. North and South each begin from a certain point, but each extend endlessly towards their respective horizons.

In this project, I try to visualize my perplexity and thoughts regarding understanding binary and hierarchical systems of knowledge production.
This seemingly geographical debate touches on a more fundamental question about knowledge itself: Does knowledge have boundaries? If so, are these boundaries objective realities, or do they depend entirely on our perspectives and methods? Concepts like direction, limit, and boundary—though they may appear definitive—exist only in relation to the standpoint of the observer. Without north, there would be no south. Without contrast, finite and infinite are merely human constructs. The world we understand is not fixed or universal, but a structure continuously generated through interaction. Knowledge is not a set of fragments chipped from absolute truth, but a shifting, contingent construction—shaped by culture, experience, and standpoint.

Driven by a relentless curiosity to know more, I visit nearby universities, museums, libraries, laboratories, and archives—any spaces where knowledge resides—as often and widely as possible. I am consistently overwhelmed by the colors, symbols, textures, and materials of the objects within, and by the fragments of reality they embody. Back in my studio, almost obsessively, I analyze my photographs to understand what triggered me to think and create. I research the history and presence of these locations, and I create more photos based on my understanding, all while grappling with the humbling realization that it is impossible to know all.

Infinity—both desperate and exhilarating.

Then I return to life with my camera, listening and learning from people about what has already been thought. I make work to find answers, that have yet to exist.