Heidegger once said that the sound of stillness (die ruhe) was more volatile than all motion. Does that statement defy common sense? Dophilosophers deliberately challenge public opinion with their meditations? In fact, Laozi had said: "By keeping the inner world perfectly calm and uninfluenced, I can observe how the world repeats itself as things evolve." That is an awakening of humanity. In the thunderous din of the world, it is no easy matter to remain calm and unperturbed. According to Heidegger, men's journey from cradle to grave eventually turns into stillness, while the nature of language is also stillness, which is the ontology of life, with tragedy being its ultimate form.
When examining Loy's works, which look kind of familiar, I was at a loss for words, as if I had stumbled into a still and gloomy night. The artist was trying to depict the entanglement between life and death, drawing the audience to her inner thoughts, which are either joyous or blue. However, the stillness I felt had little to do with her emotions, state of mind or subconsciousness. What I felt was transient, something that got solidified instantly or, to put it in another way, electrified; and there was no going back, no digression possible. The momentary stillness may be the most authentic feeling of existence. Through the dialogue in the work, the artist and the viewers engage not in a dialogue but in monologues of their own. In the stillness, soul's volatility freezes, the language becomes hollow and the thoughts evasive. Alone do I exist.
Stillness reigns supreme but the sounds of bells linger. The ancients say that calmness leads to space anddistance but how far is far? Is the heart far enough? Looking up, we see the vast, expansive, dark and still universe, and my heart feels likewise. Putting aside the secular world and standing in front of Loy's paintings, can you hear the sound of stillness?