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DTSTART:20230101T000000
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250920
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251116
DTSTAMP:20250909T092354Z
CREATED:20250909T092354Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250909T092354Z
UID:10021929-1758326400-1763251199@cultureplus.asia
SUMMARY:Min-Jia: World of Interiors
DESCRIPTION:PODIUM is proud to present World of Interior\, Urumqi-born\, Berlin-based artist Min-Jia’s first solo exhibition in their career and with the gallery\, on view from 20 September until 15 November. \nBuilt upon their apprenticeship in Shaanxi Huaxian shadow puppetry under master Wang Tianwen in Xi’an\, China\, this body of work samples and remixes traditional techniques\, materials\, and ornamental forms across cultures\, creating an enigmatic site from which to investigate the interior life of the migrant. Drawing from the analysis of how economic and migratory cycles construct subjectivities in Chinese-Australian writer Aurelia Guo’s eponymous book\, as well as the artist’s experience in the transnational Asian diaspora\, the exhibition fractures and recycles narratives of transformation to destabilise myths of origin and identity.
URL:https://cultureplus.asia/event/min-jia-world-of-interiors/
LOCATION:PODIUM\, Unit 9D\, E TAT Factory Building\, 4 Heung Yip Road\, Wong Chuk Hang\, Southern\, Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:Ink & Drawing,Painting,Sculpture
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cultureplus.asia/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Min-Jia-Mother-III.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250607
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250817
DTSTAMP:20250603T020627Z
CREATED:20250603T020438Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250603T020627Z
UID:10021626-1749254400-1755388799@cultureplus.asia
SUMMARY:Ballet with the Devil
DESCRIPTION:PODIUM is delighted to present ‘Ballet with the Devil’\, a group exhibition that employs the metaphor of a treacherous yet seductive dance with the diabolical to probe humanity’s entanglement and complex interplay with desire. Through the lens of Lacanian psychoanalysis\, the artists\, including João Gabriel\, Shimon Kamada\, Dew Kim\, Jaewon Kim\, Joy Li\, and Tao Siqi\, dissect and unveil the intrinsic unattainability of human yearnings\, and explore the potential transcendence of its ensnarement. Navigating the precarious terrain where fantasy and materiality converge\, the works compel the viewer to reevaluate the agency of one’s subjectivity when confronted by manifestations of trauma and anxiety rooted in the psyche. \nDrawing from pre-AIDS\, 1970s gay pornographic imagery\, Portuguese painter João Gabriel creates works that are pervaded with desire\, loss\, and nostalgia through feathery\, dream-like brushstrokes\, visualising the inherited trauma and questioning the boundaries of joy\, fear\, and sexuality in contemporary queer culture. His works were collected by Sunpride Foundation\, Hong Kong. Contextualising his sentimental photo archives\, Shimon Kamada constructs layered compositions that fuse figuration with abstraction\, exploring the fragility of time\, the inevitability of loss\, and the elusiveness of memory. Kamada invites multiple\, often ambiguous interpretations\, transforming intimate recollections into universal meditations on nostalgia\, alienation\, and the porous boundary between reality and dream.
URL:https://cultureplus.asia/event/ballet-with-the-devil/
LOCATION:PODIUM\, Unit 9D\, E TAT Factory Building\, 4 Heung Yip Road\, Wong Chuk Hang\, Southern\, Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:Painting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cultureplus.asia/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9.-Tao-Siqi_Savoring-2025-scaled-e1748916172642.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250322
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250525
DTSTAMP:20250307T012905Z
CREATED:20250227T105545Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250307T012905Z
UID:10021390-1742601600-1748131199@cultureplus.asia
SUMMARY:Aftershock
DESCRIPTION:On the occasion of the gallery’s anniversary and 2025 Art Basel Hong Kong\, PODIUM is delighted to present ‘Aftershock’\, a major group exhibition that explores the seismic reverberations of trauma and the transformative potential that lies in its wake. The participating artists\, including Ivana Bašić\, Sihan Guo\, Ittah Yoda\, Yein Lee\, and Diane Severin Nguyen\, probe the liminal space between devastation and renewal\, inviting viewers to contemplate how one can revitalise without defaulting to\, and being bounded by habitual operational logic. The exhibition opens on 22 March 2025 (Sat) from 2 to 7 PM and is on view till 24 May 2025 (Sat). \nIn the face of seismic upheaval\, our instinctual response is to seek immediate shelter\, often rendering us incapable of processing the shock in real time. This primal reaction echoes our typical responses to trauma\, where our psyche enters survival mode by rewiring mental pathways and synaptic transmissions to prevent emotional overwhelm. As we navigate the aftermath\, a natural inclination emerges to cling to familiar coping mechanisms\, which can inadvertently perpetuate cycles of distress. This exhibition draws inspiration from the geological phenomenon of aftershocks—where tectonic plates continuously shift and settle into new formations. By exploring these natural processes as a metaphor for healing and transformation\, the exhibition invites the audience to contemplate how one might learn from these shifts to build alternative futures that transcend established norms. ‘Aftershock’ poses a profound question: How can one tap into the core of trauma and create new paths forward that break free from habitual patterns?
URL:https://cultureplus.asia/event/aftershock/
LOCATION:PODIUM\, Unit 9D\, E TAT Factory Building\, 4 Heung Yip Road\, Wong Chuk Hang\, Southern\, Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:Painting,Photography,Sculpture
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cultureplus.asia/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/hAzSL7_jtQMh.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250215
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250316
DTSTAMP:20250204T234546Z
CREATED:20250204T234546Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T234546Z
UID:10021329-1739577600-1742083199@cultureplus.asia
SUMMARY:Polyphonic Feminine
DESCRIPTION:PODIUM is delighted to present ‘Polyphonic Feminine’\, a group exhibition that celebrates the vibrant and diverse artistic practices of Asian women artists\, who have closely collaborated with the gallery throughout its inaugural year. Featuring the compelling works of Shuyi Cao\, Genie Hui\, Phoebe Hui\, So Young Park\, Lorraine Ren\, and Yi To\, the presentation highlights their heterogeneous voices and perspectives\, which are especially vital in today’s political landscape. By showcasing their unique artistic sensibilities rooted in rich cultural heritage\, the exhibition interweaves a tapestry of contemporary experiences that not only celebrates individual artistic expressions but also fosters a transnational dialogue that offers profound insights that transcend the dominant Western\, patriarchal operational logic. The exhibition opens on 15 February 2025 (Sat) from 4 to 7 PM and is on view till 15 March 2025 (Sat).
URL:https://cultureplus.asia/event/polyphonic-feminine/
LOCATION:PODIUM\, Unit 9D\, E TAT Factory Building\, 4 Heung Yip Road\, Wong Chuk Hang\, Southern\, Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:Painting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cultureplus.asia/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/0VQ1qhdnBH0O.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241207
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250209
DTSTAMP:20250204T052005Z
CREATED:20241202T005731Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T052005Z
UID:10021235-1733529600-1739059199@cultureplus.asia
SUMMARY:History will say we were best friends
DESCRIPTION:PODIUM is delighted to present ‘History will say we were best friends’\, a group presentation featuring works by artists with roots in East Asia\, South Asia\, and Latin America\, including Srijon Chowdhury\, Weera-it Ittiteerarak\, Dae Uk Kim\, Young-jun Tak\, and Luis Xertu. Drawn from philosopher and historian Michel Foucault’s interview for the French magazine Gai Pied in April 1981\, the exhibition explores the nuanced and experimental potential of male intimacies\, proposing novel forms of friendship that foreground the collaborative and continual creation of new subjectivities and relationships. \nAmong the spectrum of human intimacies\, friendship—with its global\, timeless\, and constant presence yet unique and complex in its presentation and definition—is one of the most scrutinised forms of relationships in addition to the heavy discipline and (self-)regulation of the body and sexuality. In ancient Greek and Roman times\, writers and philosophers alike already documented and praised a man’s open affection for another man. From the Germanic comitatus\, which was the bond of reciprocal obligation between the King and his knights\, to Christian monasticism\, where bishops\, priests\, and monks felt enlightened to have intimate friendships with one another based on Jesus Christ’s love for the Apostle John\, the ideal male friendship throughout the Middle Ages in Europe was intertwined with local traditions of same-sex bonding. In contemporary Western society\, men’s friendships also seem to be built and solidified through clubs\, unions\, and other structures of comradely groups. However\, to imagine male friendships in such limited terms is to assume that shared identities and common aspirations will naturally dictate the terms of such relationships. Put differently\, offering a one-dimensional definition of friendship to operationalise all male friendships deprives creativity and spontaneity. \nProbing culturally specific vocabularies beyond the Western-centric strictures\, one will discover manifold depictions of friendship that offer multiplicity\, flexibility\, and originality. In Chinese culture\, these include Gwai1 Mat6 (閨蜜\, a sworn best friend who you share secrets with\, and will be your companion through thick and thin); Zi1 Gei2 (知己\, a kindred spirit who shares a deep psychical connection and ‘gets’ you); and Dyun6 Zau6 (斷袖\, literally means cut sleeve\, a euphemism for two men in an intimate companionship); among others. This diverse imagination of male intimacy echoes French historian Michel Foucault’s understanding of friendship as a fertile ground for innovative relational dynamics\, where it transcends conformity to foster collaborative\, ambiguous\, and experimental connections. In his interview for the French magazine Gai Pied in the 1980s\, Foucault perceives friendship as a dual mechanism for localised resistance against societal normalisation while advocating for broader social activism that challenges the pervasive standardisation of relationships. This radical reimagining of friendship prioritises heterogeneity\, allowing for an array of relational forms that disrupt established symbolic orders and engender new subjectivities. In this vein\, the five artists in ’History will say we were best friends’ envision a landscape where relationships are liberated from rigid frameworks\, encouraging a playful and creative re-evaluation of how individuals connect beyond the political correctness of identities and societal expectations.
URL:https://cultureplus.asia/event/history-will-say-we-were-best-friends/
LOCATION:PODIUM\, Unit 9D\, E TAT Factory Building\, 4 Heung Yip Road\, Wong Chuk Hang\, Southern\, Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:Painting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cultureplus.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/nMblXpgzyFFL.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240928
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241124
DTSTAMP:20241017T105515Z
CREATED:20240924T090958Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241017T105515Z
UID:10019723-1727481600-1732406399@cultureplus.asia
SUMMARY:Vitalis Violentia
DESCRIPTION:PODIUM is delighted to present ‘Vitalis Violentia’\, a group exhibition that responds to the question of violence from an aesthetic point of view\, investigating how one may transform violence into a creative principle. The works by five participating artists\, including Dew Kim\, Dennis Scholl\, Tseng Chien-Ying\, Wang Pei\, and Hannah Woo\, offer the audience valuable yet often ignored insights into crucial aspects of ‘real’ violence that cannot be revealed via mere observation of the social and political scenes\, mobilising ideas and affects that are suppressed\, relegated as insignificant\, or marginalised by mainstream discourse. The exhibition opens on 28 September 2024 (Sat) from 2 to 7 PM and is on view till 23 November 2024 (Sat). Artist Dew Kimwill be present at the opening\, while at 4 PM there will be an artist talk conducted in English. \nSince the dawn of time\, violence has been an intrinsic element of human civilisation\, an observation elucidated by seminal thinkers in psychoanalysis. Sigmund Freud\, in his controversial work ‘Totem and Taboo’\, posited that the foundations of society and culture are rooted in a primordial act of violence—the murder of the primal father by his sons. The guilt stemming from such a primitive act\, according to the Austrian psychoanalyst\, becomes inherent in Western religion\, and morality is rooted in the penance demanded by this sense of remorse. Building upon Freud’s insight\, Jacques Lacan offers a unique perspective on violence beyond individual psychology. He perceives the unconscious as being structured like a language\, with repression serving as a mechanism to relegate disturbing or unacceptable thoughts to the realm of the unconscious. This process of repression\, however\, does not eliminate violent impulses but rather transforms and allows them to resurface in various guises throughout human culture and history. In other words\, violence is a revelation of the struggle with repressed signifiers—it may emerge as an attempt to assert control over the ungovernable aspects of the psyche or as a reaction to the inherent brutality of the symbolic order per se. \nWith artistic manifestations symbolising and representing manifold shifting paradigms of contemporary culture\, it is no surprise that they have always been a crucial device for probing the complex discourses revolving around the notion of violence. From the world-famous iconography of the crucifixion of Christ\, where the graphic depiction of torture and execution transmutes into a symbol of divine love and sacrifice\, to the viral photo of Donald Trump’s assassination attempt captured by Associated Press (AP) photographer Evan Vucci\, which features the bloodied former president punching his fist into the air as Secret Service agents surrounded him. These are just some instances that demonstrate how specific modes of aesthetic production can challenge the viewers to confront the visceral impact of violence\, both in its representation and its reality\, prompting a deeper reflection on the moral and ethical implications of aggression and brutality. \nIn ‘Vitalis Violentia’\, the participating artists manipulate violence to shock\, provoke\, but more importantly\, to employ it as a tool to disrupt the complacency of the audience\, drawing attention to pressing social debates\, and revealing the pervasive influence of violence in shaping our collective consciousness. Following the ideas of French philosopher Alain Badiou about the notion of aesthetics\, as well as Gilles Deleuze’s concept of ‘violence of sensation’\, the exhibited works are not merely a reflection of reality but a mode of production that generates truth\, where the act of creation itself becomes a form of violence\, transcending mere representation to evoke a raw\, unfiltered emotional response.
URL:https://cultureplus.asia/event/vitalis-violentia/
LOCATION:PODIUM\, Unit 9D\, E TAT Factory Building\, 4 Heung Yip Road\, Wong Chuk Hang\, Southern\, Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:Painting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cultureplus.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-10-17-at-6.54.36-PM.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240713
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240908
DTSTAMP:20240703T051040Z
CREATED:20240703T051040Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240703T051040Z
UID:10020936-1720828800-1725753599@cultureplus.asia
SUMMARY:Karmic Fissures
DESCRIPTION:PODIUM is delighted to present the group exhibition ‘Karmic Fissures’\, the gallery’s first program featuring works solely by diasporic and local Hong Kong contemporary artists\, including Chloë Cheuk\, Genie Hui\, Phoebe Hui\, Kin  Ting Li\, and Yi To. Interweaving media art\, sculptures\, installations\, and paintings\, the exhibition navigates between philosophies drawn from quantum physics and Buddhism to speculate how one may uncover microscopic\, nuanced dynamics within hegemonic\, overpowering orders. Through acute mindfulness of complex yet traceable loci of causes and effects\, the artists open up karmic fissures to evoke radical transmutation and intervene in the logic of impossibility. \nOur world is now an overheated machine fueled by ongoing violence\, war\, and injustice. The sense of hopelessness and helplessness is overwhelming in these dire times\, especially when fighting the external seems no longer feasible to overthrow hegemony and macro-structures. Rather than taking the route of sadomasochistic destruction or neurotic rebellion when facing encompassing tyranny\, it is evident that we urgently need a different ligne de fuite (line of flight) to envisage multiple possible futures\, where one takes a flight towards the internal to subvert and disentangle microscopic causes and effects. Recent studies revealed that quantum physics and Buddhism share similar insights on how worldly phenomena are merely an illusion—something that is not what it seems to be. The former understands phenomena at small submicroscopic scales\, in which the material world is a holographic reality made of quantum particles that exist as transitory manifestations. Meanwhile\, the latter highlights that phenomena one experiences are intertwined with the entity’s cognitive processing; their craving and attachment arise from sensory experiences causing them to construct and project illusions with their finite minds. In other words\, our existence is construed by the limited\, essentialist\, and dualistic thinking; only when one traverses and detaches from such fantasies do they lose their substantiality and power over us. \nBy synthesising fundamental ideas of Buddhist philosophy and quantum physics\, the exhibition\, through manifold visual languages and an array use of media\, attempts to defy traditional understandings of causality\, blur the boundaries between the material and the immaterial\, and open up infinite possibilities beyond worldly dichotomies and even language. Similarly\, the five artists invite the viewer to a reality where probabilities\, waves\, and uncertainties reign\, exploring the hidden dynamics beneath the surface of our quotidian experiences.
URL:https://cultureplus.asia/event/karmic-fissures/
LOCATION:PODIUM\, Unit 9D\, E TAT Factory Building\, 4 Heung Yip Road\, Wong Chuk Hang\, Southern\, Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:Multimedia,Painting,Sculpture
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cultureplus.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/0-6Qbjfy8beg.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240518
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240630
DTSTAMP:20240514T002729Z
CREATED:20240514T002611Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240514T002729Z
UID:10020795-1715990400-1719705599@cultureplus.asia
SUMMARY:The Last Laugh
DESCRIPTION:PODIUM is delighted to present the group exhibition ‘The Last Laugh’\, featuring works by contemporary artists Sarah Fripon\, Adéla Janská\, Min-Jia\, Alicja Pakosz\, and Rachel Youn. By proposing the notion of the ‘carnivalisation of daily life’\, the five artists live and contemplate life as a joker to unleash the power of laughter as an effective means for political subversion\, offering an alternative trajectory to comprehend contemporary social milieu dominated by extreme violence and polarisation. \nThe common response of why we laugh may seem obvious—we laugh when we perceive something funny—but the apparent answer may not be correct\, at least most of the time. Going through the process of socialisation\, one quickly realises that the act of laughter is far from naïve and has always been political: It is a deeply social language that can reveal\, conceal\, celebrate\, ridicule\, bond\, and antagonise\, enabling one to navigate complex power structures and constantly shifting paradigms. Employing laughter as a crucial device to reveal unrecorded yet not unheard storytelling\, the five artists in the group exhibition\, who manoeuvre the multifaceted concept of laughter to underscore various problematics of social reality\, prompt the viewer to ponder the following fundamental questions concerning this ancient method of communication in a contemporary context: What and who do people laugh at\, and why? Who could laugh and when? What is the attitude of those in power? \nThe exhibition title plays with a double entendre. It suggests that when it is no longer possible to fight externally\, one can return to their final and remaining power—breath and laughter—as a last resort to struggle\, rebel\, and turn this world topsy-turvy. It also refers to ‘having the last laugh’\, which means the satisfaction of ultimate triumph or success after being scorned or regarded as a failure. Only by imagining and believing that the world will indeed have a different future through laughter may one defeat supremacism and exploitative\, hegemonic powers. After all\, we laugh rather than cry to survive the most sinister evils and the worst tragedies.
URL:https://cultureplus.asia/event/the-last-laugh/
LOCATION:PODIUM\, Unit 9D\, E TAT Factory Building\, 4 Heung Yip Road\, Wong Chuk Hang\, Southern\, Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:Painting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cultureplus.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/9Xne6mEi55Ao-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240323
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240505
DTSTAMP:20240320T152043Z
CREATED:20240319T191101Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240320T152043Z
UID:10020663-1711152000-1714867199@cultureplus.asia
SUMMARY:Weirding Worlds
DESCRIPTION:PODIUM is proud to announce the gallery’s inaugural exhibition ‘Weirding Worlds’\, a three-person presentation featuring paintings\, sculptures\, and video works by contemporary female artists Shuyi Cao\, Anastasia Komar\, and So Young Park. Taking Donna Haraway’s Chthulucene as the line of flight\, the artists’ distinct yet intertwined aesthetical trajectories and boundary-defying use of media visualise the necessary third history beyond the mastery narratives of the Anthropocene and Capitalocene\, challenging the linear progression and apocalyptic rhetoric inherent in Western-centric frameworks with imaginative\, queer vocabularies and practices. \nSeeking potential refuge that transcends the strictures of grand narratives\, the exhibition invites the audience to turn to Donna Haraway’s idea of the Chthulucene to explore new ways of understanding ourselves as part of and becoming with the evolving planetary community. As the feminist scholar and historian of science and technology explains\, one needs to first envision a worldview that calls for ‘ongoing multispecies stories and practices of becoming-with in times that remain at stake\, in precarious times\, in which the world is not finished and the sky has not fallen’\, then may realise that ecological interdependence is to open up multiple possibilities of kinship for future becoming. Put differently\, rather than reinforcing bondings that are rooted in ancestry and genealogy\, it is to understand that all earthlings are kin on the level of matter and energy—after all\, every sentient being shares a common flesh of molecules\, atoms\, and quantum particles. In a similar vein\, Shuyi Cao’s multimedia sculptural installations and moving image work\, Anastasia Komar’s biomorphic sculptural panels\, and So Young Park’s sci-fi landscape paintings invite the audience to intensely interact\, interplay\, and collaborate with Earth-dwellers that represent voices of abjection and destabilising orders\, where all can embrace and flourish in an ever-weirding climate. \nShuyi Cao’s newest works under the series The Other Writing (2024) are presented as fossilised fiction encrypted within the terrestrial matter that uncannily resembles miniature landscapes or alien meteorites. Comprised of aqua resin\, aluminium\, and debris of fauna\, flora\, and human activities spanning various timescales\, the organically moulded forms\, textures\, and patterns stemming from actual geological surfaces represent the recording devices of the Earth as repositories for nonlinguistic inscription. Similarly\, the mesmerising video work Begin with the End of What Comes Before (2024) merges microscopic imaging and hand-modelled digital animation\, contemplating the deep transmutation between biologic and geologic matters through planetary evolution and human activities. Elsewhere\, organically presented on industrial pedestals made of coarse light grey cement blocks\, Cao’s hand-blown borosilicate glass works Intimacy of Strangers and glazed stoneware sculptures as they folded in and breached out represent a microcosm of queer kinships between networked life forms that transcend biological classifications and binaries\, materialising a web of rhizomatic relations that ripples outwards boundlessly. \nAnastasia Komar’s abstract paintings intertwined with glass or electroplated polymer sculptural structures are the outgrowth of her research in cutting-edge science\, examining the uncanny intersection between art and contemporary bioengineering. With an enigmatic reptilian creature warping the wood panel in captivating silver-blue hues\, Tuatara (2024)\, which means ‘peaks on the back’ or ‘spiny back’ in the Māori language\, explores the eccentric body part and aboriginal connotations of this only surviving member of the order Sphenodontia\, and how they symbolise a powerful\, intuitive force imbued with ancestral and ancient wisdom. In lush turquoise hues and with dazzling hook-like formations\, Siphonophorae (2024) studies the co-dependent nature of these highly polymorphic and complex creatures\, while the kinships between these biological marvels inspire the viewer to ponder the definition of a static\, finite entity and how collaborative works are crucial in worldmaking. Diatomea (2024)\, with its emerging and protruding glass polymer tentacles\, continues to shed light on the essential roles of microorganisms in a planetary community. The iridescent painting Ascomycetes (2024)\, with a translucent sac fungus with spores draping on the surface\, underlines how the ‘spore shooter’’s asexual or parasexual reproduction and its role as decomposers foster myriad kinship across terrains and species through the formative process and circulation of matter\, unveiling how entities exist in mutual dependence and are composites of each other. \nSo Young Park’s lustrous paintings in glimmering violet and deep blue hues create a striking contrast with the sage green terrazzo tiles and harmonise with the stainless steel panels in the gallery space. In The way\, where I am going (2024)\, waterfalls and glaciers are moulded into a foot and melt in mistful waters. Presented as the act of feet washing\, the painting serves as an expression of humility\, love\, respect\, reverence\, and subservience\, which encourages one to be submerged and baptised by the waters\, as if the body will soon liquefy into molecules composed of hydrogen and oxygen. After the waves (2024) portrays the dreamscape of how the planet may transmute when territories are washed over by liquid metal-esque tides. With the terrain completely dissolved and abstracted into viscous fluid\, and an obscure object hovering and approaching from afar\, the work recalls the viewer’s abjected and traumatic memories from pre-symbolic times. Among Park’s smaller pictorial experiments\, Deep sea (2024) and Remnant (2024) depict mystical creatures with strange tentacles and claws roaming in unknown realms with lilac and metallic waves and landscapes. Both beings seem to have orbs depicted as a black hole or burning red sun\, they not only gaze at the viewer from within the canvas but also beam out the haunting queerness of such strange earthlings. Elsewhere\, Laputa (2023)\, with its title referring to the 1986 Japanese animated fantasy adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki\, surveys the deeply paradoxical and weirding nature of the planetary future.
URL:https://cultureplus.asia/event/weirding-worlds/
LOCATION:PODIUM\, Unit 9D\, E TAT Factory Building\, 4 Heung Yip Road\, Wong Chuk Hang\, Southern\, Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:Multimedia,Painting,Sculpture
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cultureplus.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-20-at-11.04.08-AM.png
END:VEVENT
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