Fantastic Mountains in Western China, from the series "Sacrifice" One from a set of twenty-four album leaves; ink on paper; with signature in clerical script (lishu) reading "Li Junyi 05"

Editor: This is Lee Chun-Yi’s "Fantastic Mountains in Western China," from the series "Sacrifice". It's really striking how the detailed landscape is overlaid with this very precise grid. What's your interpretation of the combined effect? Curator: The superimposition of the grid onto the organic landscape speaks to a critical tension, doesn't it? Consider how that reflects China's rapid industrialization and the sacrifices made by the environment and its people in the name of progress. How does the title “Sacrifice” resonate with you in that context? Editor: It feels like it's about the systematic, almost surgical, transformation of the natural world. I see the grid as a kind of… control. Curator: Precisely. It suggests a calculated imposition of order, perhaps even a forceful reshaping, on the untamed. Reflect on who benefits from this "sacrifice" and who bears the burden. Editor: That really shifts my understanding. It's not just a landscape; it’s a commentary on power and exploitation. Curator: Exactly. By engaging with the historical context, we see how art becomes a powerful tool for social critique and dialogue.