'I was the first in my family to study art.'
'The difficulty of learning art or becoming an artist is that you not only have to be able to create, but also to understand how its institutions and administration work and deal with its market. In the end, it all comes down to counting the days you can actually spend creating your work or searching for new ideas.'
'The art circle is very small. So lots of my friends come from different places.'
Image courtsy the artist. Photo credit: Alfredo Aceto
In November, Thomas Liu Le Lann, an artist from Geneva, Switzerland, lived in The Windows Apartment. He came to Hangzhou for a residency at the invitation of By Art Matters 天目里美术馆 and will stay here for 3 months.
He specialises in soft sculpture, using a variety of materials such as fabric, glass, sound, text, found objects, etc. This kind of artwork is different from the familiar traditional sculpture and also deconstructs its artistic concept: sculpture is not only made of hard materials such as stone and metal, it can also be soft.
Thomas's work extends the possibilities of soft sculpture. The Soft Heroes appear fragile, but behind their fragility and softness lies great resilience.
Grants of the City of Geneva exhibition view, Centre d'Art Contemporain Genève, 2023. Image courtsy the artist. Photo credit: Annik Wetter.
Bad Luck II, 2022, 190×60×110cm. Claw machine, steel, vinyl, synthetic wadding, denim. Image courtsy the artist. Photo credit: Claude Cortinovis.
Training Part 2: Melogran, Training Part 2: Thomas'Secret, 2021. Barbe à Papa exhibition view, CAPC, Bordeaux, 2023. Image courtsy the artist. Photo credit: Arthur Pequin.
Before arriving in Hangzhou, he had just attended a concert of his good friend in Taipei. 'Taipei is an international and diverse city. However, the weather there is too hot, which is a completely different experience for me.' Before that, he went to Hong Kong, Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, saw pandas, ate lots of spicy food, tried Beijing duck and Douzhir! He said it was not bad at all.
After a week, we met him. By then he had learnt to buy flowers in Hema, explored Xixi Wetland, visited Shanghai and Suzhou, and went to Fuyang. After listening to him, we were all surprised that he is an action-oriented person.
That's Thomas, willing to try new things and not follow the routine. In fact, you will hear many such stories from him about firsts. The residency, for example, is also a first.
A corner of Thomas's workspace.
We are curious to see where else he has been and what new things he has discovered. He said he was taking Chinese lessons, how is it going now?
Next, let's invite Thomas to tell us what he has seen and heard during this time!
Hangzhou is good 👏
Q: After a month in Hangzhou, how do you feel here?
Thomas: I feel good and connected. The city’s rhythm suits me. I’ve explored a lot, met great people, and tried so many things—climbing, hiking, boating, karaoke, and clubbing. Movement is important to me, and Hangzhou offers plenty of ways to keep moving.
Q: How do you spend your day in general? Will there be a regular daily thing to do? I know that you change the flowers in your room regularly.
Thomas: I have not found a routine yet; the days here resist predictability. But caring for the flowers has become a quiet constant—it anchors me.
As the studio begins to transform into a true workspace, I sense its energy growing, as if it’s brimming with potential and ready to carry me into a productive phase.
Q: These flowers are beautiful! Do you decorate your home like this in Switzerland?
Thomas: Yes, I do.
In Switzerland, my terrace is filled with plants, which serve as a kind of living chronometer. Caring for them is less about decoration and more about observing cycles—growth, decay, renewal.
It shapes how I perceive time, grounding me in a rhythm that feels more visceral than clocks or calendars. Without this interaction, the present moment feels harder to grasp.
Q: Have you purchased any other household items lately?
Thomas: Only essentials for work, but someone very special gave me a gift—two small ceramic Astro Boy boots.
They are utterly charming, and I have repurposed them as little vases. They bring a playful, poetic energy to my space.
Q: What countries have you lived in so far? In your opinion, what are the biggest differences in life between these countries?
Thomas: I’ve spent most of my time in Switzerland and France, with brief chapters in Austria and constant movement across Europe.
The differences are likely more pronounced than I notice—I tend to adapt quickly because my work connects me to people and places in a way that feels natural.
I rarely feel like a tourist, even if I might appear as one. That said, if I were to highlight one difference, let us start with payment methods…
Chinese Learning ✍️
Q: I just recently learnt that you had come to study at Beijing Language and Culture University in 2017. At that time, what was the opportunity that made you decide to come to China? Was this your first time in China? How was life at school?
Thomas: I had visited Taiwan and Hong Kong a year earlier, but the summer of 2017 in Beijing remains unforgettable.
The opportunity arose through someone dear to me, a Beijinger who opened the city’s doors in a way that felt personal and profound. I met people who became family members, forming bonds that endure.
One of my most vivid memories is experiencing traditional opera for the first time—a moment that left a lasting impression. Life at school was demanding but immensely fulfilling.
Q: Why do you want to study Chinese? And now do you think Chinese is getting easier?
Image courtsy the artist
Thomas: I have many reasons: to find opportunities here, to perhaps spend more time in China, but most importantly, to connect with people more deeply.
Learning Chinese helps me understand not only the language but also the culture and the stories it carries. It is a beautiful journey, and I feel like I am making steady progress!
Fabric, Writing, Video
Sky Rush exhibition view, 2024. Xippas, Geneva. Image courtsy the artist. Photo credit: Julien Gremaud.
Q: Let’s talk about fabric, the material you are most familiar with. In an interview with PW-MAGAZINE[1], you mentioned that you got into soft sculpture because sewing was easy to learn and you could create freely with fabrics. After visiting the JNBY warehouse, China National Silk Museum, and the Sijiqing Market, did you learn anything new about this material?
Thomas: I discovered some very contemporary fabrics that remind me of casual, unrestricted clothing like hoodies. They feel relevant to what I am producing right now, and I am excited to experiment with them in my work.
Q: Have you seen any fabrics that impressed you?
Thomas: I came across a green elastic fabric that makes me think of cartoon crocodiles. I cannot stop imagining these funny crocodiles when I look at it[2].
Q: Watching your films, like Les Puissants: Été 2023, reminds me of some of the films of The New Wave (French: Nouvelle Vague). When you make videos, are there any people who influence you?
Thomas: Now that you mention it, perhaps that connection is inevitable.
I have spent so much time immersed in Marguerite Duras’ works—her films, her books. Her approach to narrative and silence has undoubtedly shaped the way I think about video.
Les Puissants: Été 2023, 2023, HD video, black & white and sound, 14 min 30 sec.
Q: Have you seen any favourite films recently?
Thomas: When I arrived, I rewatched A Touch of Sin (2013) by Jia Zhangke. The film’s portrayal of individual fragility struck me with renewed force.
Q: Writing is also a very important way for you to create. In what context did you write the poem Svuotatasche?
Thomas: I wrote Svuotatasche for my dear friend Alfredo Aceto’s exhibition at Fonderia Artistica Battaglia, where he presented bronze sculptures inspired by catchall trays (vides-poches)[3].
The poem ties metaphorically to this object, blending it with shared memories from Monaco. It is playful, sensual, and full of ambiguities—mixing bodily imagery, intimate gestures, and fleeting moments of connection.
The writing is meant to evoke a fluid interplay much like the small objects and emotions we leave behind in a tray at the end of the day.
Q: Have you written any content during this time? If so, would you like to share it here? If not, that's fine too😊
Thomas: I have written quite a bit, but nothing is ready to be shared yet. It is still too emotional , a bit sad and needs distance and some editing to refine the syntax.
Q: You have been experimenting with different forms of creation. What initially made you determined to become an artist?
Thomas: As a child, I realized art could take me beyond the world I knew. It felt like a way to live fully—half truth, half dream.
Entertain exhibition view, E-Werk, Freiburg, 2024. Image courtsy the artist. Photo credit: Annik Wetter.
Grants of the City of Geneva exhibition view, Centre d'Art Contemporain Genève, 2023. Image courtsy the artist. Photo credit: Annik Wetter.
Q: The open studio session and public workshop coming soon, what are your expectations for these?
Thomas: I am really looking forward to it. I hope to meet interesting people and form meaningful connections. The workshop Soft Sculpture Workshop: Délester 软雕塑工作坊：化重为轻 will likely bring fascinating responses to its concept.
It is an exploration of intimacy, body politics, and the act of creating soft sculptures. I am excited to see how participants engage with these ideas.
Let's look forward to his first open studio session and public workshop. For the event participation form, please continue to follow our content.
参考内容
[1]pw-magazine.com/2023/thomas-liu-le-lann-what-can-i-tell-to-the-inner-thomas
[2]rubellmuseum.org/2019-mike-kelley
[3]istitutosvizzero.it/mostra-personale/svuotatasche
If you're interested in Thomas's work
you can find him in these places
👇
Little red @Thomas Liu Le Lann 乐兰
Instagram @thomasliulelann
Photo credits and photography are by the artist, unless otherwise noted.
