No Format Gallery, London, UK
3.3-13.3.2016
Artist-curator
Lisa Chang Lee 李昶
Artists
Haili Sun孫海力，Yingsheng Yang楊迎生，Le Guo郭洛，Jeremy Lee李培宇，Tian Mu田牧，Lisa Chang Lee李昶，Lin Yiman林依蔓
展覽序言
《隔岸》是一個先有藝術家再來生成主題的展覽，以目前生活和工作在倫敦的7位藝術家的視角，探索個體身份和界線之間的關系，藝術家，作品和閱讀之間的關系。這裏的界限即是政治的閾限也是地理的域線；即是種族，個人的界限也是心理和精神的域限。展覽的目的不是聲明態度而是傾向於提出一個或是多個疑問，對於歷史，種族，個人存在與徙居之所的關系。旅英亞裔幾代藝術家作為一個群體同時出現在展覽空間，讓時代的差異模糊了，換言之這種難得的打亂和融合讓藝術作品作為“結果”和“窗口”貫穿起半個世紀的精神映像。
《隔岸》的發生
2015年冬天，我與6位藝術家相約在倫敦中國城的Waxy Little Sister 小酒吧中，那時候我對6個藝術家的作品還知之甚少，更多的還僅僅停留在私交。本來只是尋常Catchup的一次聚會確最終生發了策劃《隔岸》這個群展的想法，而這個當時沒有現成作品的展覽提案無疑是一次有意思的新嘗試。我在想如何能夠找到一個獨特而寬泛又適應於倫敦地域性觀眾的展覽主題，同時又不過多介入藝術家個體的創作過程從而提供一個最自由的伸展空間。於是我將關註點放在了幾個藝術家的生平經歷身上，發現六個人的出生年代實際跨越了60-90年代中國近代歷史變化天翻地覆的40年。初到英國時無論學習或工作，心理狀態和對西方文化的接受度也有著天壤之別。作為藝術家如何看待和定位自我，個體和根植於血液中的文化背景也直接影響著藝術家的創作狀態和外在形式。我隨即索性將《隔岸》作為展覽主題，影射性的帶出一個方向，它既可以指身份，故土和徙居之地的關系，又可以是藝術家和作品之間有意識和無意識，邏輯性與直覺性的關系；既可以是對個人情懷和地域的話題，又可以是廣泛的抽象思考，藝術表達再到被解讀過程的探索。而整個展覽最終也呈現了這樣一個對比鮮明又多角度，多媒介的結果。我由衷地希望展覽的落幕不僅是一個事件（event）的結束，它更能夠帶來一些小小的撞擊和潛在的新可能。
李昶
Preface
“Far and Few 【Between】” explores identity from the perspective of Chinese expats now living in the UK. Considering
geographical, cultural and political boundaries, this exhibition examines the physical and psychological relationships between individuals, races, history and environments. The concept also implies a circular act of gaze occurring between artists, artworks and their audiences, where visualisation, interpretation, and ambiguities are nourished. This exhibition examines the activity of observing; the projection of the self and consciousness; ones understanding of the outside world; and the seemingly definitive conclusions drawn from such acts of observing, projecting and understanding.
Where the exhibition begins
It was in the winter of 2015, I and other 6 artists gathered in the pub Waxy Little Sister in Chinatown, which was meant to be a casual catch-up kind of thing but ended up with the idea of having a group exhibition. I was very much honored to be commissioned as the curator for the show, a show that hadn’t had a concept neither any artwork yet, without doubt, I believed it would be a challenging experience as well as an interesting approach, for I was not familiar with most of the artists practice but only as personal connections.
I was considering ways to compose a theme as unique and broad as possible also not overly interfering with each artist’s outcome.Since there was no work to be referred to, the initiation of the concept became merely about the people and how they possibly would echo to the abstract—a few verbal words.I hence noticed that the year of birth of each artist actually crosses four decades in Chinese modern history, when the country underwent the most dramatic change in the past millennium. Therefore each of us has distinctive personal histories compared with each other and observing the western world though different lenses. It has also enriched our artistic practice into diverse forms and ways of communication with audiences. Hence I chose ‘Far and Few Between’ as the theme implying an relatively obscure direction which can be the relationship between expats, habitats and their homelands or, more abstractly, logic,artistic expression and interpretation. Eventually the exhibition has indeed ended up presenting multiple levels of perspective in different dimensions and I sincerely hope the closure of the show is not seldom a closure of an event but also bringing up a bit of further impact, like a poker, so to unveil some potential possibilities.
Lisa Chang Lee
孫海力——
生於60年代，在英國生活工作20余年的藝術家孫海力此次展出兩件大型的裝置作品《卷曲的賦格曲》與《無題》。他的作品意在探索人造材料的可能性，從而將其嵌入到自然材料和環境之中已獲得一種視覺與心理的全新體驗。
《卷曲的賦格曲》在英文中Fugue即指巴洛克時期廣泛流行的一種作曲方式，形容重復回環的曲調。這個詞匯源於拉丁語中的“飛行”和“追逐”。同時這個詞在病理學中指“神遊癥”。藝術家將其中隱喻嫁接在作品中，表達環境和心理的轉換所帶來的進退兩難之困境。
《無題》作品中藝術家用PVA乳膠翻制身體的各個部分，再將他們分離重組，分別嵌入五塊破碎的玻璃中。藝術家嘗試借此傳達物質和肉體的脆弱和精神的捆鎖，以及純粹自由的尋求與掙紮。
Haili Sun
Born in 1960 in Sichuan, China, Haili Sun has been working and living in the UK for over 20 years. The artist seeks to explore artificial materials in order to ‘permeate’ natural materials or environment to gain a new experience in a visual and psychological way.
In “Curled Fugue”， as the artist explained, a fugue is a polyphonic musical composition technique prevalent during the Baroque period. It is built on a theme which frequently repeats, and the term is derived from the Latin word meaning ‘to chase’ or ‘to fly’. This musical form is transformed into a material form in this work, to deliver the effect of twisted emotions and the dilemmas of a changing environment. The ‘border’ is formed of the artist’s travel tickets, postcards and maps. Whereas in the “Untitled”,the artist mixed PVA glue and plant sap. This mix was used to making ‘casts’ of various parts of his body, creating a ‘skin debris’. These ‘casts’ are collaged, restoring the whole body onto five broken glass. The artist attempts to explore the fragile physical and spirit struggling to break free, as well as the spiritual illusory.
楊迎生——
生於60年初，楊迎生來到英國至今已30余年。深受西方藝術思潮的影響，楊迎生的藝術創作始終著眼於將西方當代藝術理念與其自身的東方文化背景結合。楊迎生此次展出的兩件作品 《隱形》和《另外一邊》，前者來自於在一張有折痕的紙張上畫一條直線，再將紙張展平，原本的直線中間依然呈現空缺的縫隙。《另外一邊》是藝術家根據場館現場制作的裝置，取入口處像船艙內一樣般的窗戶，符號化的人形佇立向往外望，而同時路人也是由這三扇窗看見展廳的內部空間。二者都在彼此的另外一邊。楊迎生闡述說：“就視覺而言平面與立體是相對的；真實與幻覺也是如此。通過對材料的選擇，我試圖用＂間隙＂來探索這種關系的可能性，從而挑戰觀眾的觀察習慣。”
Yingsheng Yang
Born in the early 1960s , Yingsheng Yang has been living and working in UK for over 30 years. Yang’s artistic attention has always been on how to combine Western contemporary ideas with his own cultural traditions. The exhibition display two works from him “invisible ” and ” the other side “.
“ invisible” focused on a straight line drawn on a creased paper , then unfold the paper, It turns out in the middle part of straight line left a vacant slot still.
” The other side ” is a site specific installation work, the window entrance from the space look alike a cabin window while symbolic human figure standing and yearning outside, It can be also seen from the outside by passers-by through all these windows to the interior space. Both in each other’s other side. In Yang’s words”From a visual point of view, 2D and 3D are relative to one another; reality and illusion are just the same. By using paper cutouts as a medium, I have set out to explore the possibilities of this phenomenon and produced a work that challenges the viewers way of seeing an object. “
郭洛——
生於60年代，已經在英國生活和工作了26年的藝術家郭洛此次展出了兩件裝置作品。
玻璃棉纏繞著黑色塑料管似乎從白墻上生長出來，包裹著金屬的骨架隱約從纏繞的棉絮中反射銀色金屬冰冷而堅硬的線條。作品的名稱心印（Koan）是指涉佛教中形容心性，精神與理性和邏輯的矛盾狀態。
Koan means paradoxical anecdote or a riddle that has no solution; used in Zen Buddhism to show the inadequacy of logical reasoning。
祭獻 (Sacrifice)－一顆鎏金的剝開的石榴如祭壇的聖物一般被擺放在生銹了的燭臺上，隨著時間的推移，原本鮮活欲滴的紫紅色石榴開始從腹內幹癟而鎏金的外表卻還依然保持原樣，一條金鏈從果實口中“流淌”出來，長長地懸垂著。
這尊被教堂丟棄燭臺離開了神壇回歸到其物質性本身，而石榴的作為東西方宗教隱喻中的常用符號也被以現實的形式呈現出來。
Le Guo
Born in the 60s, London based artist Le Guo who has lived and worked in UK for 26 years exhibited 2 installations for the show. A hugely ambitious work that boasts glass wool wrapped in black plastic tubes is installed by a petition facing the gallery entrance. The body seems to sprawl out from the white wall whereas wrapped metal skeleton vaguely reflected spills of flashes from the sharp fine lines from the wound cotton silver metal. The work is named Koan means paradoxical anecdote or a riddle that has no solution; used in Zen Buddhism to show the inadequacy of logical reasoning.
“Sacrifice” – the work presents a peeled gilt pomegranate as holy altar is monumentally placed on a rusty candlestick, by the time passing, the freshly dripping purple pomegranate starts to rot from inside and gilt shriveled appearance still remains intact on its own, a gold chain flow out, dangled in the wind. This altar candlestick was discarded by church and now left to return to its materiality itself. The ppomegranate, as a metaphor of connecting Eastern and Western religions, is commonly used in different cultures has also been presented in the form of reality.
李培宇——
藝術家李培宇七十年代末生於北京，後隨家人移居香港，生活工作在倫敦十來年。他慣用生活中司空見慣的現成品，轉換其原本被賦予的功能制作帶有詼諧和調侃性的作品。此次他為展覽創作的《不靈》想法原初僅僅來自一支廢舊不用的吹風機。一個保留著手工痕跡的透明塑料袋構成的“熱氣球”在吹風機斷斷續續的工作中時而生氣時而沈落。藝術家無意過多談及其中的政治隱喻，觀眾能讀取多少或者一笑了之都無關緊要。用其自己的話說，創作本身常常只是想罵一句“＊＊媽＊”
Jeremy Lee
Artist Jeremy Lee was born in late 70s, Beijing. After spending the childhood there, he moved to Hong Kong with his family. He has now lived and worked in London over a decade.
Jeremy unified readymade object as a way to shift its own function, transform and present something which is urging people to re-imagine through connecting humor and ridicule. The new work he created for the show is given name as ” Not working”. The artwork from the original idea of a broken hairdryer blowing hot air to a handmade transparent plastic bag composed of ” hot air balloon ” metaphorical reflecting angry and fall into the scenario. The artist has no intention to touch much political metaphor regardless of how much laughing off from audience, which for the artist is not a matter of the fact. In his own words, “perhaps I just want to scold a f***** “
田牧——
生於80年代，旅居英國7年的藝術家田牧，其作品常采用敘事方式，對現成物進行重建，改造和嫁接。這些動作起源於藝術家對其收集的現成物的迷戀，這種迷戀引導著物件脫離了其本來的功能性，成為真空的個體和獨立的存在。藝術家在此基礎上施加一系列再創作，從而引發對自我和“已知”的疏離和反觀，用清雅和詼諧的方式探討諸如命運，輪回的推敲和思考。以一種獨有的隱喻去尋求生命和非生命，現實與虛構的模糊界限。
Tian Mu
Born in 80s, Tian Mu has lived in London over 7 years. He often uses a narrative way with found objects formed with reconstruction, rehabilitation and grafting. These actions originated in the artist’s fascination with its collection of objects . They are removed from the basic functionality then become individuals and somehow vacuumed to be independent existence. The artist applied a series of re-creation, discuss self and the known in an elegant and witty way to explore such as human identity and body reflection. Regarding the fear in relation to his childhood incidents when fell into a ditch infested by insects. This leads to a conclusion where he expresses this concern of the dissolution of the boundaries between fiction and reality as a metaphor to seek living creatures and transmigration.
李昶——
生於80年代， 身為策展人和藝術家的李昶的作品關註時間與精神，個人存在的精神性和客觀世界之間的關系。她的創作語言跨越多種媒介，同時又隱晦地滲透著獨特的東方視角。此次展出的作品《棲息地》靈感來自於她個人旅居各地的經歷。飛機起降時對城市的鳥瞰，像是中國古典繪畫中的山水長卷，徐徐拉開。此時無論故城或是新景，都驟然變得陌生起來。眼中呈現得的一個宏觀的有機體，水泥森林此刻凝重地靜止了，成為風景，成為固態的圖案——廣袤大地的人造延伸。而此時個體被隱去，語言，膚色，文化統統成為看似無足輕重的異體。
Lisa Chang Lee
Born in 80s, Lisa Chang Lee has been working in both London and Beijing for 4 years . Penetrated with the idea that ‘mentality is always ahead of languages ‘, Lisa Chang Lee’s work involves various mediums including moving images, sound, still images (printmaking, photography, drawing, etc.) to achieve an interactive stage of transmission between artist and the audiences. Whatsoever her work is always tactfully refined to be minimal and seemingly effortless. The intention anchors deeply to the oriental philosophy- the nothingness and harmlessness, revealing the artist’s perspective of individual existence, sensations, experience of time and space alternations.
The exhibited work Habitat-1 stemmed from the artist’s experience of bird viewing a destination city while taxing. The duration of anxious and restless gaze seeking traces of familiar blocks,streets, buildings, windows, following a certain common formula of human habitat. The artist is intrigued by the contradiction between everyday experience in a city and being ‘unplugged’ then driven-off to see the machinery from above. The non-perspective landscape is reconstructed by numerous small frames. It becomes a patterned scroll of an organic body, whereas individuals are faded away from the scene.
林依蔓——
90後藝術家林依蔓長期以來關註海外移民生存狀態和文化差異與融合話題， 展出影像作品《福星超市》以客觀鏡頭的視角深入坐落於倫敦華人超市，讓觀眾首先置身於擺滿東方商品的貨架之間，隨著不斷進出的西方顧客和門外進出的倫敦標誌紅色雙層公交，中英交雜的對話，等等。觀眾才漸漸將開篇時的預設矯正。
作品和在同一空間展出的影像《棲息地－1》形成鮮明的反差， 深入到一座城市的細胞內部卻同樣用一相對客觀和冷靜視角，觀看，接納並轉述著現實，或者說一個沒有故事的故事。
Lin Yinman
Lin Yiman was born in 1990 to the south of China and has long been focused on living status of expats and multi-cultural realms in the age of globalization. The exhibited video works “Fuxing Supermarket”, in the perspective of an objective lens, is located in a Chinese supermarket in London. Began with a scene filled with Oriental goods throughout the shelves, the camera was set objectively inside the shop. All of such are almost disorientating. Not until London’s iconic red double-decker bus, mixed Chinese and English dialogues with western customers walking in and out, an viewer could finally reconnect to the place, which underlying an integration of conceptual base added to her international cultural identity. In contrast with the work “Habitat -1” allocated in the same room, Lin Yiman’s work looks at a city from a completely different angle. Instead of zooming out, the camera was zoomed into a micro cell of the machinery telling narratives of people by withdrawing cross－sections of reality.
