Diffusing Linear Body spans across sculpture, painting and other mediums. As the audience enters the space, they will first encounter rapidly fluttering cotton threads powered by a motor. No longer in their original supple state, the threads are stretched into sharp straight lines presenting a clear threat and invasion of the site. The viewer must circumvent such 'danger' to examine the painting on the wall. The image is taken from the Japanese film Oh! The Nomugi Pass which depicts the tragic fate of female workers at the Nagano Textile Factory in the early 20th century when Japan was in the early stages of its capitalist development. In this classic scene, groups of female workers must trek through an icy mountain pass to access the long road to the silk factory. Man Mei To recreates the image with teams of workers progressing in lines that drift and float like spider silk on the wind.

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The workers are tiny and weak but lithe and supple. The installation and painting echo each other. When viewed from a different perspective, the seemingly contradictory states of thread: soft, sharp, loose, and taut, can unite and transform its strength.

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