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How would you describe your practice in one sentence?

Jing: My practice explores how we relate to one another, to places, and to the natural world through material experimentation and socially engaged processes.

What brought you to Alte Münze?

J: I chose to develop my work at Alte Münze because of its creative community, where ideas and conversations emerge naturally. Its central location in the heart of Berlin also makes it a vibrant place to connect with other artists and audiences.

Your work often explores ecology, migration, and belonging. How do these themes come together in what you’re making now?

B: For me, these themes are deeply interconnected, although they are not equally present in every project. Some works, such as my bee hotel installation in Park am Nordbahnhof, focus primarily on ecology. My current project, however, explores migration, belonging, and identity, while remaining connected to broader questions about our relationships with one another and the places we inhabit.

What are you working on right now? And what has inspired this project?

J: I’m currently working on a project called Stories of Names, which explores the cultural and personal meanings carried by the names of immigrant women in Berlin. Names are closely tied to our identities. They carry traces of where we come from, who we are, and how we are remembered.

For the project, I have been interviewing women with migration backgrounds about the stories behind their names, including birth names, childhood nicknames, and names that have changed through migration or different cultural contexts. I then translate these stories into interactive textile installations that visitors can experience both visually and physically.

The project is inspired by my own experience of moving between cultures. Over the years, both the writing and pronunciation of my name have changed, and I rarely use my full Chinese name today. I realised that many people with migration experiences share similar journeys. These transformations reveal how we continually negotiate identity across cultures, languages, and different stages of life. Bringing these stories together creates a collective memory that honours the diverse experiences of immigrant women.

Your work combines research with making. What usually comes first: the research or the artwork?

J: My work usually begins with a question. In Stories of Names, for example, I ask how changes in our names reflect the ways we negotiate identity across cultures, languages, and different stages of life. From there, research and making develop alongside one another. Interviews inform my material experiments, while working with different textiles and sewing techniques shapes how I translate the stories I’m collecting. The materials often influence how the research evolves, and the research, in turn, guides the artwork.

What’s your favorite part of your creative process?

J: It’s difficult to choose just one stage because I genuinely enjoy the entire process. At the beginning, there are often many scattered thoughts and possibilities. Then comes the excitement of seeing connections emerge. During the making process, the materials frequently surprise me and lead the work in unexpected directions. Finally, watching an artwork gradually take shape is incredibly rewarding. Every stage has its own rhythm and its own sense of discovery.

You’ve lived in several countries. How have those experiences shaped your artistic perspective?

J: Living in different countries has given me a broader perspective and a greater awareness that my own way of seeing the world is only one among many. It has made me more curious and less quick to judge. Rather than assuming I already know the answers, I try to begin by asking questions.

What does „belonging“ mean to you today?

J: I used to think belonging meant finding a single place or community that felt like home. Today, I see it as something we continually create, lose, and rebuild, both within ourselves and through our everyday relationships. It exists in the moments when we care for someone or something, and when that care is returned.

What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing at the moment?

J: Finding enough time to pursue all the ideas I want to realise is probably my biggest challenge. I often have several projects developing at once, and it can be difficult to accept that they can’t all happen simultaneously. I’m learning to focus on one or two projects at a time and to trust that the others will find their moment when the time is right.

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