Involution Man Series

2024; Red copper; 9.5 × 7.1 × 19.7 in, 5.1 × 9.5 × 14.2 in, 12.6 × 12 × 29.9 in

The Involution Man Series is Jin’s attempt to create a direct visual analogy between the physical process of heating and hammering metal and her understanding of the social phenomenon of “involution” (neijuan). The sculptures take on various coiled forms: some resemble small dogs crouching on the ground, others like spiraling fingerprints or continuously surging waves. These passively formed shapes are akin to ordinary workers shaped by the accelerating forces of capitalism. While their efforts appear voluntary, they are in fact driven by external environments or pressures, ultimately leading to internal, involuntary transformations. As the sociologist Xiang Biao describes with the phrase “spinning top deadlock,” people are constantly whipping themselves into a state of high tension every day, a phenomenon born from social group pressures and competition. This series, in particular, requires Jin to seek out external assistance due to the extremely physically demanding nature of the sculpturing process needed for its creation, i.e., hammering, forging, bending.