Southern Wind Algorist: Merging Nine Algorithms with Nine Gay Stories Written in Classical Chinese 南風算法師：九算法与九男同古文故事混搭
TC Zhou
2023
Southern Wind Algorist is an avant-garde art installation that sings softly amidst the silence of pre-modern gay Chinese literature in the contemporary cultural landscape, remembering the historical existence of an underrepresented group of people.
Southern Wind Algorist is an avant-garde electronic literature installation that immerses viewers in playful interactions with pre-modern gay Chinese literature. Southern Wind Algorist addresses the lack of pre-modern or pre-1911 gay Chinese culture and literature in today's cultural landscape, both within and beyond the Chinese-speaking world. Classical Chinese gay literature offers insight into the cultural history of gay Chinese men, akin to the exploration of male homosexuality in the West found in Plato's 'Symposium.' Southern Wind Algorist fuses nine gay stories in classical Chinese with nine famous computer graphics algorithms, bridging traditional culture and modern expression. The number nine, symbolizing longevity in Chinese numerology, highlights the lasting presence of male homosexuality in the culture. One featured algorithm is the Turing Pattern, developed by Alan Turing, a pioneering computer scientist who faced challenges due to his homosexuality. Southern Wind (南风) refers to male homosexuality in Chinese culture, while an algorist creates art with algorithms. The artwork's title merges these concepts, symbolizing a cultural synthesis.
SIGGRAPH 2024 Denver Presentation
What is it like to immerse oneself in the classical Chinese gay literary tradition? This piece seeks to explore that question through a unique fusion of nine algorithms with nine southern wind stories from the late imperial era of China (Ming and Qing dynasties). In Chinese culture, the term "southern wind" (南風) is often associated with male homosexuality. Chinese writers frequently employed the use of the number nine and its multiples, such as 72, 81, and 108, to signify a large quantity of something, akin to the Monkey King's 72 transformations. Additionally, the number nine holds the connotation of permanence within Chinese tradition. In this context, the choice of nine symbolizes my hope for the complete understanding, acceptance, and integration of male homosexuality as an enduring element in future cultures.
This work contributes to fostering a sense of cultural belonging for the gay/queer community. It highlights three prevailing themes of love: devotion, exploration, and suffering. The algorithms and stories are thoughtfully organized into three distinct groups, each representing one of these themes.
Green:Devotion
Algorithms:
(1) strange attractor
(2) dynamical simulation
(3) reaction-diffusion
Stories:
(1) The Stones Nodded Assent: Story fourteen - Pan Wenzi Is Matched with Another in the Lover's Tombs 石點頭：第十四回・潘文子契合鴛鴦塚
(2) Caps with Hairpins: Chaste Love 弁而釵：情貞記
(3) Liaozhai's Records of the Strange: Huang Jiulang 聊齋志異：黃九郎
Blue:Exploration
Algorithms:
(1) flocking
(2) Penrose tiling
(3) metaballs
Stories:
(1) Peach Blossom Shadows: Story six - A Drunken Fish Is Robbed of Its Rear Courtyard Flower 桃花影：第六回・後庭花強捉醉魚
(2) A Precious Mirror for Grading Flowers: Preface, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3 品花寶鑒：序、第一回、第二回、第三回
(3) The Forgotten Tales of Longyang: Story one - Several Episodes Tossing Away Strings of Cash to Catch Turtles with Shrimp, One Drunken Night at a Red Mansion a Willow Twig is Threaded with Fish 龍陽逸史：第一回・揮白鏹幾番蝦釣鱉 醉紅樓一夜柳穿魚
Red:Suffering
Algorithms:
(1) game of life
(2) 10 PRINT
(3) Voronoi diagram
Stories:
(1) Caps with Hairpins: Marvelous Love 弁而釵：情奇記
(2) Fragrant Beauty Inspiring Ardor: The Moon Part 宜春香質：月集
(3) Silent Opera: Story six - A Male 'Mother of Mencius' Educates his Son and Moves House Three Times 無聲戲：第六回・男孟母教合三遷
Reference: Stevenson, M., & Wu, C. (Eds.). (2012). Homoeroticism in Imperial China: A Sourcebook (1st ed.). Routledge.
Note: An algorist is someone who makes art with algorithms.
If you are somewhat gay or work with computer graphics, this work is for you.