In March of 2021, I returned to Taiwan for the first time since my father’s funeral in 2019. I had resisted this trip as I feared that the absence of my father plus the 15-day-long quarantine would mean unbearable loneliness. I was not far off… after settling in, the walls begin to close in around me. Prior to this, I had just endured a whole year of on-again, off-again lockdown in Berlin. My mental stability was at its last straw.
When an old friend I haven’t seen in years came to visit me, I so desperately wanted to give her a huge hug. However since the hotel was off-limits, that was not possible. Instead, she went across the street and we resorted to waving at one another through my 10th-floor window. Although the gesture was simple, it brought me tremendous joy and comfort. I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be nice if more people— perhaps even strangers— would come and wave at me?
“The Space Between Us” was conceived as a social-art project. Being locked inside my hotel room and monitored for 24-hours a day, I felt isolated and lonely. Deprived of human touch for so long, I craved human closeness more than ever before. I begin thinking about the intrinsic human desire to connect with other people. So I decided to invite total strangers on the internet to come and visit me. I indicated the exact spot across the street and posted it on Facebook and Instagram. Then I waited.
Initially only friends and family came to see me. However, after a few days, other people started showing up. Some came alone and others with friends. I was delightfully surprised that complete strangers would take the time to come and hang with me. Some people travel for nearly 2 hours to come to the spot. Needless to say, I was deeply moved by their gesture and their kindness.
This project has enriched me in more ways than I can express. Please feel free to share with those you love and care about.
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