Chang Tengyuan: The Place Only We Know

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Parrotman reads like a scene from a future novel: after the end of the world, on a new Earth where humans no longer exist. They use archaeology and fieldwork to uncover human remains, traces of objects, images, and gestures and they study, imitate, and rebuild, translating human civilization into their own way of living. They were once only recorders; now they also become re-enactors. Through mimicry and re-enactment, they practice a daily life that is close to human, yet no longer human, in a place where humans are absent.

Hong Kong is a switch for memory, it wakes up films, melodies, and smells from my childhood. It is a secret base in my mind: not a point on a map, but a coordinate where feelings come into focus. The works grow from this coordinate and meet Parrotman’s “rebuilding experiment” on the same axis: by the backyard pool they read messages from the sunset; they say good night to the glow over the valley; with friends they sing together on the grass. These light scenes are small re-creations of human behavior. They keep a distance and also create closeness. If earlier works were like field notes, these are more like samples of living: on an Earth without humans, they rehearse with humor and patience and build a place only we know.

Formally, each work is treated as a window view: the sight is cut, the story stops at a threshold, and space is left open. I do not rush to give answers, because the place only we know is not a city. It is a way of looking and a shared code. I hope viewers connect their own memories with the images and complete the last part of the story. When you leave the exhibition, perhaps a small coordinate appears in your mind, a private base you can open again at any time. -Chang Tengyuan

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

Chang Tengyuan (b. 1983, Kaohsiung) is a Taiwanese artist who focuses on the concept of “apocalyptic archaeology”, exploring fictional future narratives through his character Parrotman. Chang reconstructs visual elements to capture the boundaries between reality and virtual through painting, installations and mixed media. His works are presented extensively in institutions such as Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Chiayi Art Museum and Shodoshima MOCA OLIVE in Japan. He has also participated in major exhibitions such as the Taiwan Biennial, and his works are held in numerous collections internationally.