In a Chinese Room

A cross-disciplinary project work by Olivia Cavallari

A short book that delves into the memories and impressions of the time in China, inspired by a profound admiration for its culture. In collaboration with a friend, Liu Cheng Pu, it brings together poems written in traditional calligraphy, highlighting two of the most significant and hard to understand aspects of Chinese tradition. The book explores the deep respect and fascination for a culture that, while deeply admired, feels like it always retains a sense of wonder and distance to the outsider. The number of prints and poems is based on the tradition that 8 is the luckiest of all numbers, a belief that is still favored by the Chinese today.