Robert Zhao Renhui’s multimedia practice concentrates on the various ways in which humans interact with the natural world, which he refers to as the ‘zoological gaze’. For the 14th Gwangju Biennale, Zhao presents Trying to Remember a River 2023, an installation that consists of videos displayed across four channels, a soundscape, and a collection of objects. As a whole, the installation engages with the life and history of an ancient and unnamed river tributary in Singapore that was transformed into a concrete drain in the early 20th century. The videos feature Zhao’s footage of wildlife in the land that surrounds the river, which started appearing as the drain has slowly fallen into disuse over the past thirty years, interspersed with texts that provide context to the history of the river. Along with the selection of objects found near the river, the installation stages an attempt to trace the multiple layers of its history and ecology.