Kasper Forest: Six Feet Under

EVENT DESCRIPTION

a|n Gallery announces that it will be holding Hong Kong multimedia artist Kasper Forest’s solo exhibition “Six Feet Under” from May 18-31, 2023. Audiences will find themselves enthralled by this alternative immersive art experience, where one is drawn into dialogue with art, oneself, the environment and other beings.

As the gold medallist of the 2019 Art Next Expo, Kasper Forest was sponsored and supported by Art Next Expo to learn, create and engage in artistic exchanges at the Treasure Hill Artists Village Residency Programme in Taipei. “Six Feet Under” is Kasper’s in-situ resident piece in the air-raid shelter of Taipei’s Treasure Hill Artists Village. By engaging in a fictional narrative, Kasper explores the meaning of self- identity and “hometown”. The artist adopts the perspective of a female reporter who sneaks out every night in search of her missing sister; photographing drag queens, transgender, punk, and other subcultural females on the streets of Taiwan. Despite so, the reporter’s search leaves her feeling more lost than ever, with only piles and piles of photos left as the only tangible fruits of her investigative results. With photography and sound installations, Kasper uses this fictional storyline to explore feelings of bewilderment regarding the loss of identity, taking the audience on a journey into his very own psychedelic landscape.

This exhibition showcases a selection of photos, manuscripts and books; and repeatedly recites the lines of eighteen modern poems created by the artist, symbolizing a hazy state lingering between many undiscernible versions of the truth and identities. The desktop is shrouded by papers and pills, with documents etched in ink doodles and circles. It is certainly a sight which figuratively exemplifies emotions of helplessness and determination in uncovering answers. The exhibition site is veiled in layers of muslin fabric, creating an oppressive atmosphere which mimics the heavy weight of the truth. One cannot help but question: Can the submerged truth truly be unveiled? Can the hearts of generations of people truly be liberated from oppression?

The focal artwork of “Six Feet Under” is a series of monochromatic photography works with females as subjects. With their smoky eye shadow, vibrantly tinged lips, and rebellious attire; their strong personalities bleed through the black and white photos and create dashes of colour. Their gazes are so sharp and piercing that it is almost as though they are seeing through your soul, with endless tales of fervour and bravery concealed behind their irises. Unwaveringly, they stand by their own values, unaffected by the judgmental worldly glances of disapproval. Marginalised by mainstream society, or even viewed as aliens, these subculture females are the key protagonists of Kasper’s works. With their unique styles and personal charm, they act as reference models to enable the artist to establish his own identity.

To distinguish oneself from “others”; to ascertain one’s status and positioning in life; to uncover one’s self-identity – these are all the key themes of this exhibition. Although the protagonist may merely appear as an outsider standing on the fringes, they once held significant identities, perhaps even “spies” in the old days. As self- identities continuously evolve along with the changing times; perhaps, everyone is constantly narrating their own identities, their own stories.

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

Kasper Forest was born in Hong Kong. His works explore the contradictions and issues that surround modern city dwellers’ sense of identity, and mainstream societal attitudes towards marginalized groups; including a ten-year long photography project "Conflict Hong Kong". Kasper Forest won the "Art Next International Artists Gold Award" at the 3rd Art Next Expo in 2019, shortlisted for the Hong Kong Human Rights Art Award in 2021, and his works have been exhibited in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Shenzhen, Sydney.