“Another World” is not a specific or visible spatiotemporal dimension.
It is another perspective from which to view the world,
a different attitude towards life exhibited by children,
and an “ambition” to construct a new world.
It exists within our courage and curiosity, which is the driving force for humans to continuously explore the world and overturn existing knowledge frameworks.
The masters of this Another World are these adorable children,
some of whom are shy, some are outgoing, and some are moody…
They possess their own language, ways of collaboration and action,
and they tirelessly ask questions about the world,
Why? Why is it so? Why not?…
They are not just “playing around” as we might imagine,
but once they pour their passion into something, their energy is boundless.
We need to learn how to join their world,
a mysterious space that is difficult to articulate and created through trial and error and action.
They may seem immature, but they are the prototypes of a future world with infinite possibilities.
We must view them in a way that transcends “aesthetics” and “childlike fun”,
as they possess a much greater vision than we imagine.
We need to try walking among them, reading and dialoguing,
and you will see the children’s
daily joys and pains,
intertwined realities and dreams;
as well as
sharp critiques of reality,
renewed understandings of death,
endless imaginations of a “new country”,
and deep thoughts and anxieties buried within their inner worlds…
They are neither our past nor our future,
they are simply themselves,
worthy of our respect and learning.
— Li Jie
