藝評
Terminus at Para/Site Art Space
約翰百德 (John BATTEN)
at 6:28pm on 15th September 2008
Visitors entering this multinational group exhibition at Para/Site Art Space must initially walk over a series of water-filled plastic hoses attached to the tubular steel sections of two randomly placed chairs and a table; the water flows from the building’s main water supply, runs through the hosing and returns again to complete an endless loop of movement.
Chinese artist Liu Chuang’s successfully silly installation, “Untitled (Unknown River)”, is a perfect introduction to Terminus, an exhibition exploring reasons why we travel. Liu offers, without any loaded message, an observation about being in one space and then transferring to another.
Dishwater Pete (American artist Pete Jordan) undertook a marathon 12-year journey across the USA, crossing 33 States and having 88 different dish washing jobs – while travelling he produced simple photocopied magazines (known as zines) making humourous observations about work as a dish washer, travel and the varied music he hears on his travels. On display are his last zine and a self-produced record: “Music to Wash Dishes By – Volume 1”, with a ‘clean’ and ‘dirty’ side!
Sascha Pohle’s ‘The Swimmer’ video shows the German artist following the route of a Thomas Cook travel brochure, visiting fifty hotels with swimming pools. The artist appears in short filmed vignettes: walking from off-camera, jumping into each of the pools, swimming one length and then walking off screen. Done without verbal commentary, the differing locations and the shape, beauty and ugliness of each pool, draws the viewer into judging this version of packaged holiday travel.
Duan Jian Yu paintings and suitcase installation, although having prominence in the front of the gallery, lacks bite and makes only obvious allusions about the similarities and differences between different locales around the world. The videos of Johanna Billing and Richard Walker are ponderous and verge on self-importance, but they do offer another (albeit skewed) angle on the topic of travel.
Tobias Berger and Christina Li have led the curatorial direction of Para/Site over the last three years and each will leave for overseas opportunities. Terminus is an appropriate finale from them and muses on the next journey of Para/Site as an art space.
Exhibition: Terminus
Date: 24.8 – 21.9.2008
Venue: Para/Site Art Space
Address: Ground Floor, 4 Po Yan Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Enquiries: 852 2517 4620
Website: www.para-site.org.hk/events/20080823Terminus.html
Chinese artist Liu Chuang’s successfully silly installation, “Untitled (Unknown River)”, is a perfect introduction to Terminus, an exhibition exploring reasons why we travel. Liu offers, without any loaded message, an observation about being in one space and then transferring to another.
Dishwater Pete (American artist Pete Jordan) undertook a marathon 12-year journey across the USA, crossing 33 States and having 88 different dish washing jobs – while travelling he produced simple photocopied magazines (known as zines) making humourous observations about work as a dish washer, travel and the varied music he hears on his travels. On display are his last zine and a self-produced record: “Music to Wash Dishes By – Volume 1”, with a ‘clean’ and ‘dirty’ side!
Sascha Pohle’s ‘The Swimmer’ video shows the German artist following the route of a Thomas Cook travel brochure, visiting fifty hotels with swimming pools. The artist appears in short filmed vignettes: walking from off-camera, jumping into each of the pools, swimming one length and then walking off screen. Done without verbal commentary, the differing locations and the shape, beauty and ugliness of each pool, draws the viewer into judging this version of packaged holiday travel.
Duan Jian Yu paintings and suitcase installation, although having prominence in the front of the gallery, lacks bite and makes only obvious allusions about the similarities and differences between different locales around the world. The videos of Johanna Billing and Richard Walker are ponderous and verge on self-importance, but they do offer another (albeit skewed) angle on the topic of travel.
Tobias Berger and Christina Li have led the curatorial direction of Para/Site over the last three years and each will leave for overseas opportunities. Terminus is an appropriate finale from them and muses on the next journey of Para/Site as an art space.
Exhibition: Terminus
Date: 24.8 – 21.9.2008
Venue: Para/Site Art Space
Address: Ground Floor, 4 Po Yan Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Enquiries: 852 2517 4620
Website: www.para-site.org.hk/events/20080823Terminus.html
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