An Apple 30 Metres under Water

Under the sea Under the sea Darling it's better Down where it's wetter Take it from me Up on the shore they work all day Out in the sun they slave away While we devotin' Full time to floatin' Under the sea

At the beginning of this video, Rong gives you a challenge: hold your breath throughout this entire film. Did you succeed?

You sometimes encounter it in theatre and series, for example. The actor suddenly starts talking to the audience. In doing so, someone breaks out of their role, and makes the viewer part of the stage and thus the story. This is called: breaking through the fourth wall. Rong Bao also uses this principle by involving you in the artwork in this way, and thus breaks through the 4th wall (tv screen).

With this challenge to hold your breath, Rong is actually asking you to participate in an interactive near-death experience. The video lasts 1 minute and 30 seconds. That is the average limit for holding your breath.

Rong fell in love with diving in 2014. Due to safety regulations, the maximum depth for diving is limited to 30 meters. After that, the risks become too great. This apple sinks 30 meters and is followed by a trained diver. The artist shows you a world that you will probably never go to yourself.

Did you know that an apple naturally floats? How can it sink?

The deeper you descend, the higher the pressure under water. Light can also penetrate the dense water less and less. Eventually, all colors disappear, and only blue remains. Even the light and color have been swallowed up.

Rong Bao (1997) is a Chinese talent. After graduating in London in 2023, she had a solo exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London almost immediately. Her work is fun, playful, challenging and funny, which she uses to disguise the criticism she gives with her work. Rong is known for her inflatable sculptures, Made in China, but she is a jack of all trades. She studied in China, the United States and London.