《本能的语言》 Original

In the course of human evolution, the tail—a once-functional bodily structure—gradually degenerated and eventually disappeared. Yet today, in an era of rapid technological advancement, direct emotional communication between people is increasingly being displaced and eroded. The two interactive mechanical tails featured in the artwork symbolize the complex and nuanced emotional bonds between humans, particularly those forms of nonverbal communication that elude linguistic expression. According to Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s theory of embodiment, the body is not merely a sensory tool, but an active participant in emotion and cognition—an embodied medium through which we perceive and make sense of the world. In The Language of Instinct, the tail functions not only as a mechanical apparatus but also as a medium of emotional expression. By mimicking and observing the emotional responses of her pet in various environments, the artist endows the tail with communicative potential, transforming it into a bridge for conveying emotions left unspoken.