The maiden's prayer – Huang Yi-Xiang Solo Exhibition

【The maiden's prayer – Huang Yi-Xiang Solo Exhibition】 Date: 2018 / 7 / 18 – 8 / 19 Opening: 2018 / 7 / 21 Sat. 3:00 pm Artist talk: 2018 / 7 / 21 Sat. 3:30-5:30 pm Guest: Wang Sheng-Hung (Art critic and adjunct lecturer of Department of Fine Arts at Taipei National University of the Arts)

【Exhibition Statement 】 For some kind of impulse, I consent to have an exhibition in Absolute Art Space. And then I realized something was wrong. I had nothing to show for the exhibition, not even a thought for it. People tell stories and I like to hear stories, so I thought maybe I could also tell a story. But here came a problem. I didn't want to tell my own story because I had nothing to say about myself. I didn't want to tell stories of other people, either. Why? Because there was no one I particularly wanted to talk about. Also, I didn't really understand their stories. So I made up my mind that I put away stories of others. Then, I found out that I had nothing to say. However, though it is quite true about the fact that “I have nothing to say,” the idea that “I want to say something” is real. At last, I still have to face this impulse coming from nowhere. “Story” can be unreal but the act of “telling” has to be real. So, the reason I take “story” as a model for my show is that it can force me to think about the difficulty of “saying something,” such as “what to say,” “why I say it,” and “how to say.” However, I can’t simply start from these questions that put me into a situation of having nothing to say. So I make a turn and think about the past story experiences. I Then, I realize that a good story can make both teller and listener have a simulated feeling as if it were really happening. Great! So I am going to let people who come to see the show have a simulated scene like being on spot. The show not only presents the story but also makes the space a story spot. People who come to see the show also become storytellers. For this reason, the story must not be too complicated. All I need to do is set up the basic elements. So I assume that I have a show in Absolute Art Space and there should be some works. I imagine something that might happen in the space. I put a character in the show who plays the role of administrative staff. I ask him to do things that this role might have done in the art space during my preparation for the exhibition, then I record his act. At this stage, I don’t ask “who to say,” “why I say it,” and “how to say,” but “where to say” and “whom to say to.” Doing this doesn’t mean that I escape from those bothering me, but by dealing it from this aspect can help me properly face them. As for the art space, Absolute Art Space, the space as an exhibition domain, and an art space like Absolute Art Space, I just want to say; since I have nothing to say, then I’ll leave it to the space and everyone to say. Organizer: Absolute Space for the Arts Sponsor: National Culture and Arts Foundation, Ministry of Culture, Cultural Affairs Bureau of Tainan City