- CollegeCamberwell College of Arts
- CourseMA Interior And Spatial Design
- Graduation year2024
Inspired by Allegory of the Cave (Plato, 380 BCE), I use shadow puppetry as a metaphor for conflict and war, aiming to awaken public awareness of the truth behind media-controlled narratives of war. This fictional story will be recorded and re-enacted in various controversial spaces, using ephemeral materials such as smoke at the protest site as a surface, responding to the anti-war protests in London. This paper examines how shadow puppetry can use this metaphor to reveal the truth in war, challenging manipulated media representations. The project aims to intervene in public spaces, especially in the context of increasing conflicts.
Final work
Shadow Parade_ Zhengang Ying
The story is divided into three chapters;
In the first stage, the cave is filled with the fog of war. Two prisoners are trapped in this cave, living in a closed, information-polluted world, powerless to do anything about it.
In the second stage, during a struggle, one of the prisoners accidentally breaks free from his shackles and gains a brief moment of freedom. He represents outspoken protesters calling for peace, despite the unknown dangers and threats they face.
In the third stage, as he continues his quest, others call out to him from the cave, urging him to stop, fearful of the “dangerous” truths he will uncover. These voices represent those who are so deeply manipulated and afraid to face reality that they choose the familiar safety of confinement.
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