Part of: The Kuling Project
Installation and Book 2024
Stained Glass, lead, steel, stone, booK
The Story of Kuling
Situated in the valley of Mount Lu, China, Kuling was founded in 1895 by English missionary Edward Selby Little. Initially established as a sanatorium and rest resort for Westerners residing in China, it evolved into a unique colonial enclave. Little, adopting the name Li Deli (李德立), navigated local bureaucracy and, after a decade-long struggle, took out a 999-year lease for the land atop Mount Lu. The missionaries distributed the land to various European countries and the USA, leading to the construction of houses in Western architectural styles, built with local materials. Little named the area “Kuling,” a play on the word “cooling,” which resonated locally and sounds natural in Chinese. The Kuling Council, run by missionaries, managed land plots and used proceeds to fund local services and security.
Through my research into Kuling’s hidden history, the key question is how we as humans perceive history and whether we can break free from linear time. I reimagine Edward Little’s vision of Kuling’s landscape through stained glass, gaining the power to represent both the physical landscape and the narrative behind it.
Boundary Stones
“time field” is constructed from sandstone boundary markers. At its centre, the past zone is marked by stained glass and a single stone inscribed “前天 · The Day In Front.” Around it, the present zone is defined by four stones engraved “后天 · The Day Behind.” Beyond these markers extends the future field. Drawing on Chinese linguistic concepts of time, the work breaks with linear time perception and invites visitors to walk through past, present, and future, looking through the glass as if gazing back while facing what is yet to come.
The Book Without an End
Edward Selby Little published The Story of Kuling in 1899 to document how he acquired the land and built the resort. I preserve his original narration while creating my own counter-narrative, with stained glass process photos positioned parallel to historical maps of Kuling. Readers can follow Edward’s story left to right (Western style) or my narration right to left (Chinese style), mixing both narratives to explore multiple perspectives of Kuling’s history and break linear chronological reading.
Xy June Li 