MapleStory: Crazy, Crazy Heart

Inspired by a childhood game, this project links virtual nostalgia with physical travel. I seek absurd, "crazy heart" moments—brave glimpses of fantasy that remain colossal within reality.

In my childhood, living in a small city in Northern China, I found my daily schoolwork unbearably mundane and the world beyond borders entirely unimaginable. In 2004, MapleStory became a viral online game across Asia. This was the first time I ventured across borders with people from so many different nations; to me, it was an incredible world—dodging the Bat Monster’s attacks, boarding airships with friends, meticulously choosing a Magician’s Outfit…Here, there were endless worlds for us to explore. 

As an adult, I finally began to move through the physical world. From Southeastern China to Japan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Kenya. Where am I? In 1914, there were 57 countries in the world. Today, there are nearly 200. The world is in constant flux—tension, release, and sustained tension again. Amidst this daily life, what are our colorful fantasies? Can we still cross paths as strangers and join forces to fend off the Bat Monster? 

On quiet, everyday streets, I hear the sound of a heart beating wildly—is it yours or mine?

For the fantasy world we share.