Letters to Nobody
2025.04-Ongoing
A collaborative project with the artist Li Xiangdong, as part of his project Postman and my project Speaking to Nobody.
These are six letters delivered by Dong to the Estonian island of Kihnu. They have no addressee, no sealed envelope, no postage stamp—only letters written in three languages, my story, a small gift, and a return address. Anyone is free to open them, read them, exchange stories, and write back.
Hi, friend from afar,
By chance, I came across an online article about your place, Kihnu, described as "often referred to as Europe's last matriarchy." On this island west of Estonia, "the role of women on Kihnu has expanded beyond traditional gender roles and into every aspect of life on dry land." I know this might be an external or media-driven perception of your lifestyle, and inevitably, my viewpoint is also one of the "outsiders."
Yet still, I approach you sincerely and with curiosity, eager for mutual exchange through this letter—I do not know who you are, or who will receive this letter, but I still wish to share my story and experience with you, and equally eager to hear your stories and perspectives, to learn from your unique insights and knowledge. How do you live? How do you perceive gender, family, marriage, and life? What does "matrilineal society" mean to you? What is your ideal future lifestyle?
Best wishes,
Changli Luo
Archive photo from Dong’s trip | by Li Xiangdong
From DONG:
I received good news from Changli. She got a reply from the old lady in Kihnu, Estonia. This spring, I personally drove a motorhome to this small Estonian island and handed the letter to the old lady in person. She runs the only museum on this small island in the Baltic Sea all by herself. When I visited the museum, she even invited me to join her for lunch and read the letter I delivered slowly while I was having tomato soup.
Meanwhile, I had other adventures on the island. I traded my letters for firewood to keep warm at night and for a tow truck rescue when my RV got stuck in the sand.
In the name of art, I learned about the past and present of this island from Changli. In the name of art, I went to the island alone with Changli‘s letter. In the name of art, I established a wonderful connection between the traveller (postman) and the local residents on the island.