“A Monster is a Human” explores the formation of monsters in mythology, based on a Chinese classic book, Shan Hai Ching. In the past, the Chinese believed that all monsters were created as naturally and equally as other animals which followed the same natural law of “Change”. And like the 4 auspicious creatures in Chinese culture, the more hybrid a monster was, the more powerful it was, like the dragon. And if it has wings and distinctive patterns, it will be viewed as more spiritual than others, such as phoenix. Nonetheless, monsters also reflected our fears and unknown phenomena through their supernatural power and roles, and played as a middleman easing the tension between human and nature, like the dragon having the power over rain and thunder.

However, as the human civilization progresses, our fears and the unknown are constantly changing. So this project intends to create new monsters which are inspired by today’s fears and ignorance. To preserve and promote monster culture, their physical imagery and power were adopted from the old ones. The new monster “Ao Hong”, for instance, inspired by the fear of the “algorithm”, was adopting the form and symbolism of the dragon in mythology.