The Only Thing I Left

This work explores the anxiety between individuality and connection in a mechanised society driven by efficiency. Performed by a suitcase filled with documents that represent an abstract, dehumanized individual, devoid of personal identity or emotional expression. This work reflects the tension between societal expectations of success and the suppressed desires, emotions, and individuality of the self. As the lack of personal belongings, the suitcase becomes a metaphor for the mechanized life—efficient yet disconnected—while altered dates on the documents symbolize the endless struggle.

The piece symbolically uses the “suitcase” to address how, in the midst of constant relocation and life pressures, individuals lose emotional connections and interpersonal relationships, leading to anxiety about the future and confusion about self-identity. The artwork critiques modern education and social labels, posing the central question: is a person’s value solely defined by external documents and social recognition?