Ancient literati’s mental cultivation was embodied in their paintings, calligraphic works, and household utensils that were used in home life decoration to express their feelings and aspirations. Tsai’s mind often lingers on this literati conception, hence his object-based “landscaping” as a response.
Imagining the scene that ancient literati whiled the day away by roaming the landscape garden, admiring birds and flowers, and reciting and composing poems, Tsai Ken created a readymade trinity composed of a birdcage, a rockery, plants, literati artifacts, and a hall they lived in. It presents the artist’s mentality toward nature as a result of his introspection.