At the recent “Innumerable” solo exhibition in Shanghai, I delved into the theme of repetition, a concept often dismissed as mechanical, tedious, and lacking in creativity. However, according to Gilles Deleuze, it is repetition that fosters the potential for variation. Repetition draws our attention to the subtle differences and changes around us, serving as a fundamental aspect of our world, where accumulation of the same eventually triggers a qualitative transformation.

In any field of expertise, repetition is the norm. It is through consistent repetition that professionals refine their work, achieving perfection in the minutiae. This process cultivates patience and helps one build up experience. The value of experience, however, is ambiguous to me. To be fair, empiricism has its pros and cons, though it is not exactly “the most insane creation of concepts ever seen or heard” as described by Deleuze. I understand empiricism to be a by-product of extensive professional practice. Experience is often equated with professional ability, suggesting that perhaps professionalism is merely the result of persistent repetition.

Design Summer is a form of repetition too. Every year, the content seems unchanging, but the details are always new.

This year, as summer approaches once again, we shall embrace repetition.