AfterSchool no.06

Please join us for a screening of Tianjiao Wang’s short film red bean followed by a discussion with the artist. We’re intrigued by Tianjiao’s attention to the ordinary, for the capacity of her images to register presence, and for her project’s engagement with Dorsky’s notion of devotional cinema. We encourage (but don’t require) participants to read this selection of excerpts from Nathanial Dorsky’s Devotional Cinema in advance.

Tianjiao’s solo exhibition of her photography is currently on view at Spellerberg Projects in Lockhart, Texas.

AfterSchool is open to all. There is no cost to attend. No preparation required.

red bean, is an experimental documentary inspired by filmmaker Nathaniel Dorsky and his dedication to devotional cinema. His pursuit of a montage that both opens up and accumulates gives Wang a sense of liberation. She feels a deep nostalgia for his work, suspecting that this nostalgia arises from a perceived affinity between the images Dorsky captures in his filmmaking practice and her own exploration of acknowledging presence in the work. The fleeting moments that draw them both seem to align in a fundamental way. It is unsurprising to Wang that Dorsky mentioned Chinese calligraphy in one of his interviews. He has also spoken about the concept of Yin and Yang in cinema and frequently referenced Ozu’s films. She is fascinated by a certain sense of “Eastern-ness” in him and is curious about how someone like Dorsky, who might have never been to China, inherently embodies a particular aesthetic. 

The images contained in red bean and its revelation are deeply personal. To some extent, the work draws influence from home movies, bringing to mind Chantal Akerman’s No Home Movie (2015) and Larry Gottheim’s Corn (1970). In certain parts of the film, close-ups of hands at work are emphasized—capturing the distinct way they touch ingredients while preparing a meal. There is a particular tenderness and intimacy in these gestures when food is not yet consumed. At the same time, these particular and consistent hands embody a certain kind of care. The film also incorporates various urban landscapes, with a particular focus on Beijing’s historic parks—places where time feels suspended, and the weight of history forms an almost impermeable threshold, shielding them from the pressures of modernity. Within these spaces, the stillness carries a quiet reverence, as if the past lingers in the air, unbroken and self-contained. The evergreen pine trees in the parks, along with the bright winter sunlight and the rhythm of the wind in Beijing, evoke a mood that makes one long for longer daylight hours, while being drawn to the winter sunsets, finding in them a special kind of romance. All the shots were captured specifically for red bean, yet none of the images were planned or anticipated in advance.

Biography: Tianjiao works with photography, film, video, and installations to acknowledge the presence of things. She believes that to see something is to study it, develop an affinity for it, and attempt to understand it. Through photographing and filming, she anticipates drawing others closer while keeping them perpetually within the realm of the other, without crossing boundaries, encroaching, or fusing.