A Day was created on the final day of a 21-day quarantine in a hotel room in Qingdao, China, in December 2020.

Drawing from Xi’s own experience of isolation, the work reflects on the absurdity of existence and the interplay between the individual and their surroundings. It captures the monotony and repetition that permeate daily life—symbolized by the routine delivery of three bottles of water each day—and explores how these unconscious, seemingly aimless patterns shape our sense of self.

Appearing in the video in the same attire worn throughout quarantine—camisole, flip-flops, and pajama pants—Xi highlights the performative repetition embedded in both personal routine and broader societal structures. Within the confines of a hotel room and the ceaseless passage of time, A Day unravels the tension between confinement and continuity, raising profound questions: How do we make sense of the cycles that structure our lives? And can we ever truly break free from the patterns of history that seem destined to repeat?