01.UDCD (Unite Diverse Chinese Dialects)2023
Integrated Project
Art Direction
Editorial
Typography
Typeface
Performance
Music
Installation
China has 300+ regional languages under the unified Chinese character system. Each dialect reflects unique tonal features linked to people’s identities and social statuses. Economic factors and population distribution classify dialects into “higher” and “lower” levels. Though linguistically equal, societal judgments shape attitudes towards speech patterns. Power dynamics and economic strength affect language survival, while dialects become associated with social hierarchies, facing absorption and extinction.
The project allows Chinese-style multilingualism to appear in fonts, books and music in an equivalence relationship, We challenge dialect hierarchy and prompt reflection on discrimination due to social classes and politics.