Sometimes it is necessary to make sacrifices for the sake of a greater ideal. In "DNA Rain" Liu Dao sacrificed the freedom of a clone of Li Lingxi 李翎溪 in order to pioneer new technological and ethical frontiers. First, Liu Dao produced a clone of Li in a laboratory. Next, the clone was imprisoned and digitized, forced to perform her umbrella-dance for eternity (or at least until the piece is unplugged). Why an umbrella? The clone of Miss Li was not aware of the fact that she was not the original. She held the umbrella to shield herself from the rain of replicated DNA that is continually falling here in China. Cloning has been commonplace here for quite some time. Intellectual and stylistic copycatting is rampant. Every industry and field, from video games to automobiles to fashion, has seen its fair share of mimicry. The uninformed clone of Miss Li heldher umbrella, ironically, to protect herself from this soulless profiteering. The entire project was framed in a teak housing, subtly contrasting the transformative power of new technology with the materials and aesthetics of the past. Perhaps this treatment defies conventional attitudes about morality (and regional laws on kidnapping). Perhaps it isn't right to imprison a clone for the sake of art. But it is clearly a visionary step forward in terms of redefining our techno-sociological, philosophical, and artistic landscape. [Rhino Alabandine]