This practice-based research investigates the complexities of mother–daughter relationships within the context of Chinese patriarchal family structures, with particular attention to the intergenerational transmission of trauma and gendered power dynamics. The project engages with video installation as a site for translating interview-based material, derived from recorded mother–daughter conversations, into moving-image form.
The research approaches the interview as a relational and affective event, shaped by hesitation, silence, repetition, and moments of misalignment. A central methodological component is the workbook, which functions as a mediating structure that slows down the interview material and supports iterative processes of listening, reflection, and visual translation.
Drawing on feminist film theory, psychoanalytic perspectives, and cultural-historical contexts, the project develops non-linear narrative, reenactment, and montage as practices for holding contradiction and emotional complexity in place. The video installation takes shape as an evolving, multi-channel assemblage, reflecting ongoing negotiations between memory, narration, and interpretation.
By foregrounding process, translation, and methodological reflexivity, this research contributes to feminist discussions on maternal relationships and intergenerational trauma, and positions experimental video installation as a form of critical and practice-based knowledge production.

Authors:
Zixin Yan, University of Leeds, United Kingdom

About the Presenter(s)
Zixin Yan is a PhD candidate in Fine Art/Design at the University of Leeds. Her work examines mother-daughter dynamics and intergenerational trauma in Chinese patriarchal families through video installations, combining feminist and psychoanalytic theory with artistic practice.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Tuesday Schedule

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