Cheng and Chen Zhan

Building on their exploration of the complex relationship between water, indigenous communities, and global infrastructure, Jingru (Cyan) Cheng and Chen Zhan utilize film installation to engage with the hidden narratives of Thailand’s indigenous people and their entanglement with hydroelectric power and international energy networks. For the artists, water represents a multifaceted element: a life source, a disruptor, a tool of displacement, and a connector of distant lands.

The works on view will delve into the intertwined dynamics of resource extraction and the impact of industrial processes on both local environments and global networks. In this context, the installation recontextualizes iconic sites such as Thailand’s Vajiralongkorn Dam Reservoir and Singapore’s Jewel waterfall, tracing the material flows that link these places while highlighting the often-overlooked consequences for the communities affected. Through extensive fieldwork, the artists use film to reveal how the energy that powers cities far from its source is deeply rooted in the life worlds of displaced peoples, turning Storefront into a space of reflection on the intersections of energy, environment, and indigenous resilience.