One of the things I’ve noticed ever since moving back to China, is that people here are not quite satisfied with the state of the country. Phrases such as “Look how this and that country is so clean and orderly, while our country isn’t.”, “I wish I could move to this or that country, there’s no pollution, the government treats them so well,” etc, are very commonly heard.

 

What I don’t think people realize is that different countries are the way they are because of the habits of each individual person. People are quick to blame others for their bad habits, not realizing that they themselves also have faults. Others have no concept of the consequences of their actions. In the end, we have no control over the actions of others, but we have control over ourselves.

 

The Future is a piece I created to try to show that instead of envying others for what they have, we should try changing what is wrong with what we have for the better. Change is not something that happens overnight, brought on by one individual person. It is brought about through time, through the co-operation of many people. One person cannot do much, but together, the future itself can be changed.

 

The Future is made up of 40 spot lights arranged so that when they are all lit, they form the characters for future (未来) in Chinese. There are five spotlights that are lit at all times; these constantly lit spotlights shine over a windchime with a string hanging down for users to shake, making the chimes sound. When one of these windchimes are struck, seven random lights are lit. Only when five people working together to sound the five individual windchimes do the characters for future appear -- thus through their actions, they are "changing" the future.