The Shape of Monuments—Frank Tang solo exhibition

Artist｜ Frank Tang

Curator｜ Alice Wong

Duration｜2024.06.12(Wed.)-07.21(Sun.)

Opening｜2024.6.15 15:00

Forum｜2024.6.15 15:30

Panelist｜ Yu-Ting Hsieh

The ways of making, erecting, preserving, and interpreting monuments often reflect the beliefs and value judgments of a group of people, while the shape of memorial buildings and built monuments—and even the plants designated as memorials—express the imagination of their creators or commissioners. They turn intangible concepts and emotions such as introspection, repentance, recollection, and remembrance into tangible existence, which then influence the cognition and impressions of future generations of these concepts as they have been realised through the concrete image of these monuments. However, with the passing of time and the shaping of new knowledge, the meaning of these monuments can be reinterpreted – or even overturned.

Frank Tang often employs various mapping methods as his form of visual representation to depict monuments such as historical buildings, landmarks, statues, as well as old and notable trees. This exhibition, 'The Shape of Monuments', not only showcases the artist’s new works created during his artist residency in Taiwan in 2022 and 2023, but also the paintings and maps he has created in recent years of different historical sites and memorial parks in Hong Kong. These works are all based on the history, landscape, and people’s lives in these places. The forms and shapes of the monuments are recorded through the artist’s map-making practice, and these landscapes, events, and objects are organised by the artist in such a way as to create certain connections and emotions. The action of “remembrance”, embodied by monuments, is placed within the context of modern society and contemporary art for our contemplation.

Photo｜ Peng Yi-hsuan

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About Artist

Multi-media artist Frank Tang has used a range of technologies and platforms in his projects, including ink painting, video, sound, and collaborative performance; yet his work is always informed by his interest and training in Chinese shanshui (landscape) painting. Tang’s practice is marked by his exploration into ways of integrating not only the traditional aesthetic language, but also the experiential and philosophical concerns of shanshui art into contemporary idioms.

Through the study of forms of mapping in recent years, Tang’s work focusses on the geo-politics, socio-cultural landscapes, and artistic interpretations of topographical reality. This is especially evident when he applies his mapping techniques to the cityscape, heritage sites, and parks in Hong Kong, for example in “Impression Mapping series”, “Pocket Park series”, and “Our Audible City series”. These works show the impact of colonisation, urbanisation, as well as the interplay of state domination and resistance concerning specific historical events.

Tang graduated from the Academy of Visual Arts at Hong Kong Baptist University in 2010 and obtained a Master of Fine Arts Degree at Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2023. He has been invited to artist-in-residence programs in Zurich by the Zurich University of the Arts in 2014 and Treasure Hill Artist Village in 2022. Tang has participated in many important exhibitions, including ‘Ink City’ at JC Contemporary in Tai Kwun, Hong Kong (2021); ‘Humor in Ink’ at Taoyuan Children’s Art Centre in Taiwan (2021); ‘Hidden Forest’ at Asia Society Hong Kong Center (2019); ‘A Taste of Hong Kong’ at Les Halles de Schaerbeek in Belgium (2016); and ‘China 8 – Tradition Today – Ink Painting and Calligraphy’ at Kunstmuseum Gelsenkirchen in Germany (2015). His artworks have been exhibited in museums, art organizations, and galleries in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

His solo exhibitions include ‘Whispering Canopies’ (Karin Weber gallery, Hong Kong, 2023), ‘De-’ (Treasure Hill Artist Village, Taipei, 2022); ‘You Are Here’ (Gallery Exit, Hong Kong, 2022); ‘While I was away’ (Gallery Exit, Hong Kong, 2017); ‘From 4am to 10pm’ (K11 chi art space, Hong Kong, 2016); ‘Untitled Landscape’ (Art Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung, 2015); and ‘I Was Away For A While’ (Connecting Space, Hong Kong, 2015).

Artist website／www.tangkaiyiu.com

Presented by｜ Absolute Space for the Arts

Space Sponsorship｜ National Culture and Arts Foundation

Exhibition Sponsorship｜ Cultural Affairs Bureau, Tainan City Government.

National Culture and Arts Foundation

Supported by｜ Hong Kong Arts Development Council