In The Three-Degree Tilt of the Horizon, Sophy Qi challenges the basic logic of viewing in a restrained yet powerful way. Three degrees, an angle so subtle it could almost be overlooked, becomes a faint yet irreversible crack that quietly invades the viewer’s belief in “nature” and “balance.”

At first glance, the piece appears to be a documentary of the coastline: the rolling waves crashing against black rocks, the light of the sky merging with the surface of the water, creating cool hues. However, upon closer inspection, the horizon is clearly tilted by three degrees—just enough to cause a slight but undeniable disturbance in the viewer’s mind. Qi does not rely on overt manipulation; instead, she questions the order of the world within an almost imperceptible range, allowing the viewer to unconsciously feel the imbalance and realize that what seems stable has already shifted.

The details at the edges of the film—scratches, light leaks, and even the black film frame—are preserved fully within the image, becoming an inseparable part of the work. This choice not only echoes the theme of “tilt” but also gives the piece a raw, unrefined sense of reality. It reminds us that every image’s birth is a collaboration between technique and chance, and every act of viewing is a subtle questioning of established rules.

In this work, “three degrees” is not just a number but a poetic deviation from reality. With minimalist, silent photographic language, Sophy Qi successfully pulls the viewer away from the illusion of naturalism and gently pushes them toward a position where they must re-examine their relationship with the world.