YUXIN LIU

This project is divided into two parts. The first part of the audio and video reflects my thoughts on this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature winner, The Vegetarian. Han Kang uses delicate language to depict how an individual, oppressed by society, is pushed to the brink of breakdown. Her words are painful and profound, even carrying the scent of blood. The protagonist, Yeong-hye, stops eating meat after a violent dream, but this decision sparks confusion, disappointment, and disdain from those around her, revealing society’s ingrained survival-of-the-fittest mentality. Yeong-hye’s refusal is a protest against the pressure imposed on her, and she eventually chooses to return to a plant-like state and die. Han Kang writes this painful story with deep compassion, which I interpreted as mercy. Therefore, I used the element of the temple bell, while using the deep sea element to convey the oppressive atmosphere.

The second part represents the protagonist’s dream. In the dream, red blood covers the ground, and she can sense its smell and sticky texture. The slaughtered animals and brutal, bloody images fill her with extreme fear and disgust, overwhelming her senses until she can no longer bear it. This sense of revulsion and pain becomes the reason for her decision to stop eating meat. I used music from Satoshi Kon’s films 2 and clips from Battle Royale and Midsommar to express this feeling of horror.