Situated Practice MA Student Chosen as Arte Laguna Prize Finalist

Jiaqi (Jessie) Li’s installation, When We Look into Each Other’s Eyes, has been selected as a finalist in the Sculpture and Installation category for the 19th Arte Laguna Prize, an international art competition dedicated to the visual arts. Her work explores a delicate narrative of family, memory and identity through a series of carefully crafted videos.

When We Look into Each Other’s Eyes intertwines personal memories and archival family footage, with scenes filmed by the artist’s mother, as well as footage of the artist’s return to her mother’s hometown. The installation probes deep into the artist’s familial history, and offers a poignant reflection on the often-overlooked layers of womanhood and individual identity, especially as they are altered and obscured by the role of motherhood.

The installation consists of three video segments, each evoking moments of shared connection and intimacy. One segment captures the artist’s memory of discovering her mother’s wedding video and childhood photos, hidden away for years in a box. In another, we see the artist as a child sitting on a bicycle in front of her mother. A third segment draws viewers into the quiet exchanges of glances during family meals, revealing moments that are both deeply personal and universally resonant. The video placement and installation angles mimic the physical and emotional closeness of mother and child, evoking shared memories and a shared perspective in real time.

Jessie commented: 

Situated Practice MA has supported my growth as an art practitioner and researcher. It has encouraged me to pause from quick production – to observe, feel, listen and re-examine my surroundings. The programme has helped me recognise the importance of spending time building connections with my environment and understanding the lives of the people within it.

Rather than solely seeking inspiration for my work, I now focus on integrating with the landscape, the community, and the people around me, reflecting on what I can bring back and how to merge myself with the site. What is my connection to the work I create? What is the relationship between me and the site? Why am I doing it? Why me? These questions will take my art practice to the future.

The Arte Laguna Prize was established in 2006 by the Cultural Association MoCA and is renowned for recognising innovative and thought-provoking visual art across multiple disciplines. Each year, it showcases a diverse selection of artists and mediums, from painting and sculpture to performance art and multimedia installations. 

Finalists' work will be shown at an exhibition opening in November, and the winner of the Arte Laguna Prize will be announced at the opening night on 16 November. The exhibition runs until 8 December at Arsenale Nord, Venice.

More information

• Find out more about Situated Practice MA
• Read more about Jiaqi (Jessie) Li’s work
• View all the finalists of the Arte Laguna Prize

Image credit: Jessie Li