WORK / LIVE 干活 Peng Lynn 彭浪

Peng Lynn 彭浪 worked for more than two years as personal assistant to the CEO of Bernard Controls. She comes from the countryside of Hunan province and is still deeply attached to her hometown and its traditions, above all to the freedom, serenity and small daily discoveries of her childhood. She speaks dialect with her mother and cares a great deal about keeping the language alive.

Since she began working with the Social Sensibility R&D Department she has been curious about art and eager to share her interest in both traditional and contemporary literature. She finds the sprawling city too fast and at times oppressive, yet she is not nostalgic: she embraces change, even if she does not agree with its disruptive speed, and looks for a balance in the principles of rural life she grew up with, which remain an inner refuge.

Her creative explorations with the department have always dealt with oral ancestral culture and spirituality; music and storytelling have stayed with her since childhood. Here she improvises one of her favourite old popular songs, which she planned to bring to Manifesta 12 in Palermo for the project Karaoke Propaganda. Unfortunately for us, she left the company before the event.

Her earlier sound piece, a letter spoken in Hunan dialect to her late grandfather, was included in Precariat’s Meeting at MCAM Ming Museum in Shanghai, Waiting for Work at Cache Space 798 in Beijing and Rebel Cities at YAM Yang Art Museum in Beijing. In our many conversations about art, work and life, Lynn was particularly touched by the work of Bas Jan Ader, especially his wall piece Please Don’t Leave Me.