Kai Jiao

In Sanskrit, "saṃtati" means "continuity." Buddhist philosophy places a strong emphasis on the idea that the ‘self’ we think of is actually an accumulation of linked, transient events rather than an eternal entity, and that there is no such thing as a permanent ‘self’. The project proposes that the ‘self’ is not linear, but rather constructed from innumerable temporal and spatial fragments of one’s own experience, constantly rearranged, overlapping, modified, and constructed. The ‘self’ is fleeting and fluid. 

Starting with the memories and emotions triggered by a visit to a fabric shop in The Hague, Kai Jiao applies Carl Jung's psychoanalytic methodology to analyze how his past experiences have been continuously and profoundly shaping the construction of his ‘self’. Through sharing his personal story, Jiao brings awareness to the intricate relationship between the ‘self’ and memories, emotions, and possible self-shaping factors.