Recently, Wu Chi-Tsung’s new solo exhibition “Seeing Through Light” at Tao Art Space was reported by Living and Design Magazine.
The article introduces, ‘In this exhibition, Wu Chi-Tsung retraces his initial interests and continues his exploration of visual expressions, and once again develops a different video shooting technique.
For Wu Chi-tsung, it is not necessary to pay too much attention to the individual works themselves. What is more crucial is to develop a unique Weltanschauung and to establish the form, language, thinking and perspective of viewing art in the process of developing the works. The value of the artwork as a “thing” is not high, but as a starting point to lead into a certain spiritual journey, in which the artist gives the object to verify the existence of the journey, giving it an “intangible” value.
前言：
在海外發展多年的現代藝術家-吳季璁，除了香港世界畫廊正在進行中的個展-《現》外，回到故鄉台北，由策展人王嘉驥老師在Tao Art Space策劃今年另一個展「照見」，少時在傳統學院派的藝術薰陶浸淫多年的吳季璁，自大學開始才進入當代藝術的領域，發展如影片、攝影、光影裝置等新媒體的創作方法，新舊衝突下的斷裂與拉扯中，成就自身的藝術方向，而場地為去年成立的Tao Art Space，因一張委託的《氰山集》系列作品，經介紹認識業主及收藏家Vicky，而開啟了這次展覽的緣分。
許久未在台北發表作品的吳季璁，經介紹了收藏家及展場業主，Vicky 和父親都熱愛收藏，父親偏愛以佛像和宋元瓷器為主的古美術及台灣現代藝術，而 Vikcy 則是以國內外當代藝術為主。Tao Art 獨有的兩代收藏經歷，揉雜古今正好與吳季璁的創作路線不謀而和，成就了這次吳季璁和 Tao Art 胡不堂佛像收藏的合作。
Public Dates Jul 13 – Oct 2, 2021, Tue – Sat, 11 am – 7 pm Venue Tao Art Space, 8f, No.79-1, Zhouzi St., Neihu Dist., Taipei city
On Jul 13, “Seeing Through Light: Wu Chi-Tsung Solo Exhibition” opens at Tao Art Space in Taipei. Curated by renowned curator Chia Chi Jason Wang, the exhibition marks the premiere of a series of experimental video works, the Drawing Study Series. Applying a special video-filming technique, Wu Chi-Tsung offers an alternative way of looking at reality through the work.
Tao Art Space is jointly founded by art collector Vicky Chen and her father. Parallel to their collection and presentation of contemporary art, Tao Art Space has also established a remarkable collection of antiques under the name “Hu Bu Tang.” Both believing that Art could transcend time, Wu Chi-Tsung and Tao Art started this collaboration. The artist presents a special feature of ancient Buddhist sculptures from Tao Art’s Hu Bu Tang Collection as part of the Drawing Studies Series,bringinga modern “exposure” to the antiques. Alongside, early works such as Rain and Self-Portrait will be exhibited to ‘pan across’ Wu Chi-Tsung’s artistic journey with video and photography.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tao Art Space is limiting the number of people in the Gallery at any one time and is open by appointment only. Meanwhile, the Gallery has introduced a number of measures to keep the visitors and staff safe. Please click the button below to RSVP and enjoy your visit.
Seeing Through Light: Wu Chi-Tsung Solo Exhibition
Curated by Chia Chi Jason Wang
Once during nightfall, sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) held a lamp and led art critic Paul Gsell (1870-1947) to see an ancient Greek statue of Venus in the dark. With the dim lamplight, the sculptor turned the movable platform that held the statue, and made the critic look closely at the torso of Venus, illuminating the complex and intricate projections and depressions. This way, Rodin helped Gsell to discover the beauty of flesh represented by artists in the Classical period.[1]
During his youth, Wu Chi-Tsung was still exploring creative possibilities, and had also seen himself through light. In the dark, he replaced paintbrush with a flashlight, and pointed it at his face to capture his own portrait, while also setting the camera on long exposure (B mode) to allow the trail of light to simultaneously develop on the film. The printed and enlarged images became his earliest “Self-Portrait” series (2004). Based on this, “seeing through light” is not just a metaphor of Wu Chi-Tsung’s personal enlightenment and self-discovery, but also his unique creative means.
Rain 雨景， 13：00， 2002
Before the “Self-Portrait” series, he tried to capture the scenery outside his home window using high shutter speed (1/8000 second) for “Rain” (2002). In the video, the constantly skipping raindrops are a sharp comparison to the seemingly stationary landscape of the Tamsui River far away, especially the Guandu Bridge that spans over the river, as well as the roads and surrounding woods. Between those things moving at a high speed and remaining stationary are the endless traffic on the bridge and the road. Through camera and video camera, Wu Chi-Tsung repeatedly reverses and topples human’s daily vision, as well as their perceptive experience of reality. Consciously, Wu Chi-Tsung manipulates the “moment” in time by stretching and slowing it down or rapidly accelerating and speeding it up, through which he offers an alternative way of looking at reality.
“Seeing through light” is a common term in Buddhist scriptures, referring to the thorough understanding and transcendence of enlightenment. In May 2021, Wu Chi-Tsung holds a solo exhibition at TAO ART Space. In response to the gallery’s collection of classical sculptures, Wu has specially selected five Buddhist statues from different dynasties that have unique aesthetics and spiritual significances, including: “Gilded and Colored Limestone Head of Buddha” from Eastern Wei to Northern Qi (6th century), “Limestone Head of Buddha” and “Limestone Standing Bodhisattva” from Northern Qi (6th century), “Limestone Head of Bodhisattva” from Sui (6th-7th century), and “Wooden Standing Venerable Ānanda” from Song (10th-13th century), as the source images to develop a series of videos. The title, “Seeing Through Light,” not only reflects the curator‘s observation on Wu Chi-Tsung’s art from the past to present, but also echoes these Buddhist statue-themed new works featured in this exhibition.
Drawing Study – Limestone Head of Buddha(screenshot) 寫生習作 － 北齊 灰石佛首像(截圖）
Like a brush made of light, the artist points a flashlight at the Buddhist statues and sketches; a video camera is fixed on the side to record the movements of the light beam in the space, as well as the end results of the manifestation of the Buddhist statues through the trail of light. The recorded videos, in the post-production process, are retouched using a digital program developed by the artist. Targeting each frame (30 frames/1 second), Wu Chi-Tsung sets for each layer a brightness parameter, so that it increases as the layers pile up. This way, the videos processed through the computer algorithm not only preserve the original temporal linearity, but also intensify with the piling up of layers to create a stunning visual effect, as if physical thickness were added to time.
Back in 2003, Wu Chi-Tsung was already experimenting with video creations of the same principle. The difference is that, back then, digital computing was still in the cradle, and he could only possess and access limited post-production tools, and make use of inexpensive equipment he had around to layer the pictures a frame at a time, completing “The Self-Portrait of 71 Frames.” Today, nearly 20 years later, with more advanced digital equipment and programs to assist his shooting and computing, the artist carries on and expands this concept that he was unable to thoroughly realize early on, achieving further development.
Early on, Wu Chi-Tsung completed many works simply titled “Self-Portrait” through exploring and experimenting on his own. From knowing self to observing reality, image tools were the core media he used to probe into the authenticity of phenomena. Contemplating on the nature of video and viewing, he often started from the rhetoric of suspicion and rhetorical question to establish the problematic. Paradox within suspense was almost an indispensable aesthetic quality of his video works.
Self-portrait No.4， 自畫像No.4， 2004
Continuing the existing style and video thinking, Wu Chi-Tsung’s seeing the Buddhist statues through light is obviously an exploration of artistic creation, which is concretely different than the Buddhist notion of enlightenment and seeing through reality and illusion. Despite this, the images of the Buddhist statues have been converted by him to gradually become illuminated in the dark, from partially to entirely, allowing audience to really witness the beauty of “seeing through light.” Wu Chi-Tsung conjures the embodied spiritual power of the statues to manifest its mysterious nature, while also turning the viewing experience into an enriched journey of discovery.
Wu Chi-Tsung continued to apply the same video post-production technique to the selected coasts and cities he shot, creating the “Drawing Study” series (2021). Regardless of the oceanic scenery at Longdong in northern Taiwan, or the urban landscapes of Taipei City, which are all actual real-time sceneries, the reprocessed videos show visual variations to create a perceptive confusion suspended between to be or not to be. Whether it is natural landscapes or urban crowds, they are all consistently changing to begin with; however, through the artist’s unique digital manipulation, they instantly consolidate into solid scenic spectacles, leaving everyone in awe. Although they originate from reality, what the artist offers are sceneries that can never happen in the phenomenal world. The artificial fabulation of Wu Chi-Tsung exists in-between reality and fiction, expanding for the works room of philosophical and aesthetic dialectics, and allowing viewers to ruminate on the notion of noumenon ( or thing-in-itself) and truth.
Matching the new videos created by Wu Chi-Tsung using the archived Buddhist statues of TAO ART Space as the source images with the spatial utilization, “Seeing Through Light: Wu Chi-Tsung Solo Exhibition” arranges for the original Buddhist statues seen in the videos to also be exhibited, hoping to trigger intriguing dialogues for the unexpected encounter of ancient and contemporary arts. Also, at the entrance of the first gallery, a special display of hand-puppet and hand-puppetry stage is specially organized—these are also unique items in the collection of TAO ART Space. The stages and puppets exude distinctive qualities of human drama, and the special display aims to welcome the guests of the exhibition, and usher them into the exhibition space.
As mentioned above, “Seeing Through Light: Wu Chi-Tsung Solo Exhibition” gathers works of the artist starting from his younger days of self-exploration, including “Self-Portrait,” “The Self-Portrait of 71 Frames,” and “Rain,” which are highly experimental, to all new works created in 2021, which include serval videos and photographic outputs using Buddhist statues as the theme, as well as two videos entitled the “Drawing Study” series that depict the oceanic scenery of Longdong and urban sceneries of Taipei. Comparing his earlier and new works not only helps audience to understand his latest works through learning about his past, but also allows audience to see Wu Chi-Tsung’s creative path and aesthetic preferences over the past 20 years.
[1] Auguste Rodin, Art: Conversations with Paul Gsell, trans. Jacques de Caso & Patricia B. Sanders (Berkeley and Los Angles: University of California Press, 1984), pp. 22-26.
Drawing Study 001 – Seascape LongDong 寫生習作 001 – 龍洞海景
日期 2021年7月13日 – 10月2日, 週二至週六11am – 7 pm 地址 Tao Art Space，台北市內湖區洲子街79-1號8樓
由策展人王嘉驥策劃的吳季璁個展《照見》，今日起於台北Tao Art Space開展。展覽將首次呈現藝術家使用新的拍攝技術完成的實驗影像《寫生習作》，展現其另類觀照現實之道。
TAO ART 由 Vicky Chen（陳薇捷）和父親共同創立，除了致力於當代藝術的收藏與展覽外，亦還建立了名為「胡不堂」的古物收藏，因其收藏路徑與吳季璁的創作方向不謀而合，本次，吳季璁特別與胡步堂合作，在《寫生習作》系列中，呈現了胡不堂收藏的佛像藏品，以現代之眼為古物賦予了全新的詮釋空間與觀看可能。此外，《雨景》、《自畫像》等早期影像作品也將展出，從而「全景」呈現出藝術家十餘年來對於實驗影像的思考與探索歷程。
「照見」也是佛典常見常用的語彙，指向開悟成佛的透徹與超脫。2021年5月，吳季璁在Tao Art Space發表個展，特別因應此一機構的經典雕刻收藏，選擇了五件別具美感與精神意涵的歷代佛像，包括：東魏至北齊（6世紀）的灰石貼金帶彩佛首像、北齊（6世紀）的灰石佛首像和菩薩立像、隋代（6-7世紀）灰石菩薩首像，以及宋代（10-13世紀）木雕阿難尊者立像等，作為文本，發展出一系列的錄像作品。借「照見」之名，除了反映策展人對於吳季璁過往以來的藝術觀察，也對應他此次以佛像為題的這些新作。
Drawing Study – Wood Standing Ananda, Song Dynasty 《寫生習作 － 宋 木雕阿難尊者立像》
搭配吳季璁以Tao Art Space所藏佛像為文本的影像新作，「照見：吳季璁個展」在空間的運用上，也安排影像中所見的各尊佛像原作一同展出，期盼增添古代與當代藝術不期而遇的對話趣味。同時，第一展廳的入口處，特別安排了掌中劇的舞臺及戲偶展出──也是Tao Art Space的特別收藏。戲臺與人偶帶著鮮明的人間戲劇特質，也藉此迎賓，引領觀眾進入展場空間。
[1] Auguste Rodin, Art: Conversations with Paul Gsell, trans. Jacques de Caso & Patricia B. Sanders (Berkeley and Los Angles: University of California Press, 1984), pp. 22-26. 亦參閱《羅丹藝術論》，羅丹口述，葛賽爾筆記（臺北：雄獅圖書股份有限公司，1992），頁45-51。
Cyano-Collage 095,氰山集之九十五, 200x 200 cm x 3 pcs , 2021
At the entrance of Wu Chi-Tsung’s exhibition “Exposé” (2021), curated by Ying Kwok at Galerie du Monde, stood a six-part folding screen depicting blue mountain peaks. The work was made from cyanotype-treated Xuan paper (Chinese rice paper), a laborious process derived from early photography whereby Wu translates the markings of light and time into shades of blue.
The folding screen ushered visitors into the main exhibition space, where the eye-catching, three-part Cyano-Collage095 (2021) evoked a great mountain range across an entire wall. Its wrinkled texture mimics the contours of majestic slopes and valleys, while the contrast between its deep indigo shades and its misty white layers recall the subtle ink-control seen in Chinese shanshui painting. Wu is heavily inspired by traditional Chinese landscapes, although he eschews the traditional medium of ink in favor of cyanotype. Trained from a young age in Chinese calligraphy, ink painting, and watercolor, Wu turned to cyanotype as a way to simultaneously pay homage to and reinvigorate classical ink aesthetics.
Cyano-Collage 094, 氰山集之九十四, 225 × 540 cm,2021,
Wu started experimenting with cyanotype in his Wrinkled Texture (2012– ) series as a means of reinterpreting the cun fa (texturing method) of Chinese landscape painting. Wu’s creative process is a strenuous one. To start, he soaks Xuan paper in a photosensitive solution. Then, he crumples the paper and exposes it in the sun for 30 minutes. Strong sunlight results in dark indigo hues, while cloudier days bring lighter blues. The paper is subsequently washed and flattened in a water tank for an hour to set the final image; it is during this step that Wu first sees his work. After selecting a section he finds interesting, he crops and mounts it on a canvas or scroll. “My creative practice is filled with endless experimentations. Every step along the process, I am constantly exploring the possibilities within, and always failing too,” Wu said in an interview with Obscura magazine. Even with limited control over the final image, Wu still manages to capture the essence of shanshui painting through his strategic cropping and framing of the work. In Wrinkled Texture 107 (2021), for instance, the placement of darker blues at the bottom of the frame grounds the image against its overexposed counterparts, and creates an illusion suggestive of shanshui’sclassic peaks.
In his Cyano-Collage (2015– )series, Wu harnesses the uncontrollable aspects of this process—the weather, light intensity, wrinkle patterns—by collaging multiple sheets of paper on a canvas and sealing them with several layers of matte acrylic gel. In Cyano-Collage 086 (2020), for example, he adds layers of white rice paper on top of dark blue pieces to create an illusion of mist wavering between valleys. Paper fibers can even be seen in some white layers, highlighting its soft, nebulous quality. Such fine details achieved through his delicate craftsmanship create an impressive dimensionality. Meanwhile, Cyano-Collage 096 (2021) overlays treated Xuan paper in a blue gradient onto an unexposed paper background, a nod to the traditional Chinese painting technique liu bai (leaving areas blank) that creates breathing room.
“Exposé” demonstrated Wu’s ability to reconcile seemingly contradictory qualities. The depth and elevation created by the textures in his works belie the flatness and smoothness of their surface. The illusions of ink mountains are reconsidered on closer inspection. What was unintentional—colors and patterns dependent on natural forces—transforms into intention through Wu’s meticulous arrangements. Wu’s inventive practice reinterprets the traditions of Chinese art, and invokes hidden depths beneath the works’ surface.
Written by Judy Chiu, an editorial intern at ArtAsiaPacific.
Wu Chi-Tsung’s “Exposé” was on view at Galerie du Monde, Hong Kong, from March 24 to June 13, 2021.
近日，《ArtAsiaPacific》雜誌發表專稿介紹吳季璁於Galerie du Monde的個展《Exposé現》。ArtAsiaPacific雜誌成立於1993年，是世界領先的介紹亞洲、太平洋地區與中東地區當代藝術與文化的英語媒體。
Wrinkled Texture Series 097, 皴法習作之九十七，90.4×46.3 cm, 2021
Recently, Wu Chi-Tsung’s intriguing application of Cyanotype photography was introduced by Heyshow.com, the biggest Taiwan designers’ website with updated designing news and articles. The article reviews the creation process of the Wrinkled Texture Series as well as the Cyano-Collage Series.
In the article, the writer Hsu Szuying introduces:
When we look at the Cyano-Collage Series, we can’t help but be brought into the time in the picture, as the author invites the viewer to feel a juxtaposition of the past and the future tenses. In “Another Way of Telling” by John Berger and Jean Mohr, it is mentioned that “Imagine if time is cut in photography, that the time of a photograph is a state of interlaced events, then it can be expressed in a frontal, circular way, and the diameter of the circle depends on the amount of information contained in the image.” In the Cyano-Collage Series, the viewer can feel a great deal of information, including the deconstruction of traditional landscape painting methods, the study of paper materials, and the repeated testing of visual effects. These contents enrich the work itself and expand the viewer’s thinking, which is the spirit of art and the most valuable part of being a creator.
Venue Convention & Exhibition Centre, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
From May 21 to 23, First Cyano-Collage Series work applying aluminum panels will be premiered at Galerie du Monde’s booth in Art Basel Hong Kong. As a substitute to wooden baseboard, aluminum panels create a distinct reflection that leaks through the Cyano-Collage landscape. The revealed base board, a.k.a the blank-leaving(留白), embraces traditional aesthetics of Chinese painting and enhanced the sense of space hence created new possibilities of interpretations.
現於世界畫廊（Galerie du Monde）展出的《現 Exposé》正是把吳季璁近年的實驗作品《氰山集》（Cyano-collage）向大眾呈現出來。2019年時，他在台北舉行的個人展覽《東橋西照Echo》也有展示《氰山集》系列，同樣是穿越詩意山水的概念，但展示方式卻是截然不同。《東橋西照Echo》把作品展示在一所有歷史感的殘舊大樓裡，部分畫作更是隨意地貼在石灰剝落的牆上或是放在檯的邊緣，任由它懸垂在地上。這次在方正、潔淨又優雅的畫廊裡展出，又是另一種體驗吳季璁作品的方式。「我們刻意地把一幅大型六聯屏作品放置於展場入口，令觀眾必須要繞過這作品才看到其他展品，如行山一樣，攀過一座山才看到其他的風景。我們希望觀眾能夠一層一層地發現和探索，如中國山水畫強調的『可行、可望、可游』；吳季聰塑造他作品中的風景時， 也是懷着這種精神。」展覽的策展人郭瑛說。她在佈展時意外地發現六聯屏的板子間透出了光束，若隱若現光線正是呼應著中式園林中的影壁，讓觀眾開門見山地看到仿若懸浮空中的作品，並擴闊了對空間的想像。
“My creative practice is filled with endless experimentations. Every step along the process, I am constantly exploring the possibilities within, and always failing too. As the saying goes, ‘Successes are coincidental, while failures are essential’,” Taiwanese artist Wu Chi-Tsung said with a laugh. Sometimes the act of creating resembles an experiment, with its incessant attempts and failures after more failures; one awaits a coincidence to create a “successful” work. Amid a sophisticated and fortuitous creative process, Wu’s recent works the Cyano-Collage series struggled against, adapted to and interspersed with time and light to realise one experiment after another.
Currently exhibiting at Galerie du Monde, Exposé is a public display of the experimental series Cyano-Collage Wu created in recent years. In 2019, his Taipei exhibition Echo also exhibited the Cyano-Collage series, following the same concept of going beyond shan shui (landscapes), but with a completely different curatorial approach. Echo showed the works in a dilapidated building that exudes heritage. Some of the works were attached arbitrarily on walls with lime peeling off it, or lying around the table edge in suspension. Exhibiting the works in a four-square, clean and elegant gallery this time presents another way to experience Wu’s works. “We deliberately placed a large 6-part work at the entrance of the exhibition space, so that visitors must make their way around this work to see other exhibits, much like hiking, where one must overcome one mountain to see other scenery. We hope that visitors may discover and explore layer through layer, as Chinese shan shui paintings often emphasised in the quality of being ‘passable, discernible, navigable’; Wu shaped the landscapes in his work in the same spirit,” said Ying Kwok, the curator of the exhibition. While setting up, Kwok chanced upon the light that seeps out of the spaces between the panels of the 6-part work. The obscure rays echo the ying bi (screen walls) in Chinese gardens, such that visitors are given an uninhibited view of the work that appears suspended, and imaginations about space expand.
What Chinese shan shui painting presents is the union of sentiments and scenery. As such, what kinds of sentiments were bestowed by Wu when he was creating? “The Wrinkled Texture and Cyano-Collage series swapped the ink and brush for photography, and what they explore is the possibilities of ‘shan shui’. They attempt to expand the boundaries and space for the imagination of shan shui. We conducted countless experiments in every stage of the creation. This experimentation was perhaps not so much as sentimental or expressive, but more of an exploration grounded in reasoning.” Wu said that the Cyano-Collage series was still very much a controlled work before this year. He has been pursuing perfectionism in techniques, such as in the treatment of liu bai(leaving areas blank) and misty clouds in the composition, for which he rubbed the fibre in the Xuan paper to an extreme fineness. As his techniques neared perfection, however, he felt at loss somehow with the meaning of the pursuit. “The biggest breakthrough lately was when the state of my creative process grew more relaxed, and closer to ‘natural spontaneity’. That not only allowed the photographic paper to develop naturally when I worked on the composition, but also enabled certain things in me to be released naturally. This is similar to the state wherein ancient people painted shan shui. In creating Cyano-Collage, I gradually placed my consciousness elsewhere, such as in listening to radio programmes, as I let my hands move unconsciously. The more I do this the more I was able to enter into a sort of meditative state.” Wu also said that while creating the two series, his thoughts and pursuits were “figurative”, like a response to a certain shan shui painting classic; whereas now his thoughts have entered into less literal realms, opening up more possibilities, “To be able to project oneself entirely into a ‘discernible, habitable, passable’ imagined space is more in keeping with the spirit of ink art instead.”
Roaming around so many works, my gaze lingered on the Wrinkled Texture on the scroll inadvertently. Seen in close proximity, it was a gradient, creased paper; seen from afar, the shan shui landscapes came through. Not to mention using the most classic Eastern art forms to fuse with Western cyanotype photography technology is a continuation of traditional aesthetics within the modern vernacular. Rolling out the scrolls, there was even a sense of optimism as one feels when entering into nature or hiking, that is, the excitement and anticipation for the unknown. No wonder even Wu said laughingly that he held a personal preference for the Wrinkled Texture in scrolls.
Rently, writer and artist Cyrus Lambrecht has published an exhibition review on *CUP on Wu Chi-Tsung’s solo exhibition EXPOSÉ at Galerie du Monde. In this article, Lambrecht discusses on chances and coincidences in Wu Chi-Tsung’s art.
Curator Ying Kwok introduced during the press preview that the aim of the exhibition is to unveil the production process of Wu Chi-Tsung’s works that applies cyanotype photography. After being able to see the behind-the-scenes, Lambrecht quoted John Locke’s theory named Tabula Rasa to describe the exposure process. The term literally means ‘blank board’ as a comparison to human’s mind before experiences, which resembles blank Xuan paper, while the wrinkles and sunlight exposure resembles experiences in a person’s life. Hence, the whole process as well as what finally emerges and remains on paper, the landscape-like imagery, are interesting metaphors for life.
Photos credit to the writer
若世界上所發生的事情，都只是一種偶然與巧合，人們所堅持的一切，會否也只是一段徒勞無功的過程？我們可能因為無法控制一些事情的發生，而感受到一刻的脆弱和無力感 —— 但就是當中一份偶然發現的驚喜，讓我們堅持自己的信念和執著。台灣多媒體藝術家吳季璁，在世界畫廊（Galerie du Monde）以「現」（Exposé）為主題，展出一系列採用了氰版攝影和宣紙的畫作。透過獨立策展人郭瑛重視空間劃分的策展風格，呈現出時光荏苒與物是人非之間的一刻旖旎景象。
Lately Wu Chi-Tsung has donated his new work Wrinkled Texture 096 to theAsia Society for the 2021 Asia Arts Game Changer Awards Art Auction. Proceeds of the auction will be supporting Asia Society’s global Arts & Culture initiatives. The auction is now live and will close on May 5, 2021 at 8:30 PM (ET).
The Asia Society’s purpose is to navigate shared futures for Asia and the world across policy, arts and culture, education, sustainability, business, and technology.
About the Asia Arts Game Changer Awards
The Asia Arts Game Changer Awards is a signature event honoring the Asia Arts Game Changers. Every year, major art collectors, artists, gallerists, dignitaries from the art world, and Asia Society trustees and patrons gather to celebrate contemporary art in Asia and honor artists and arts professionals for their significant contributions to contemporary art.
Past honorees include: Cai Guo-Qiang, Hon Chi Fun, Abir Karmakar, Krishen Khanna, Bharti Kher, Kimsooja, Lee Ufan, Liu Guosong, Nalini Malani, Nyoman Masriadi, Takashi Murakami, Yoshitomo Nara, Rashid Rana, Shahzia Sikander, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Do Ho Suh, teamLab, Wucius Wong, Xu Bing, Zeng Fanzhi, and Zhang Xiaogang.
All proceeds from the Asia Arts Game Changer Awards support Asia Society initiatives worldwide.
近日，吳季璁向位於美國紐約的亞洲協會捐贈了新作《皴法習作之九十六》以支持2021年Asia Arts Game Changer Awards 線上藝術拍賣，所得款項將支持亞洲協會的全球藝術與文化項目。拍賣現已上線，並將於2021年5月5日美國東部時間20時30分結束。
關於Asia Arts Game Changer Awards Asia Arts Game Changer Awards旨在表彰在亞洲藝術界做出突出貢獻的人士。每年，著名的藝術收藏家、藝術家、畫廊經營者以及亞洲協會的受託人和讚助人匯聚一堂，慶祝亞洲的當代藝術的發展，並表彰藝術家和藝術專業人士對當代藝術的重大貢獻。
Works of Wrinkled Texture Seriesand Cyano-Collage Series will be showcased in Frieze New York represented by Sean Kelly Gallery. Parallel to the physical fair at The Shed, Manhattan, May 5 – 9, 2021, an Online Viewing Room will open from May 5 – 14.
About Frieze
Frieze Art Fair is an international contemporary art fair in London, New York, and Los Angeles.Frieze London takes place every October in London’s Regent’s Park. In the US, the fair has been running on New York’s Randall’s Island since 2012, with its inaugural Los Angeles edition taking place February 2019.[2][3] The fair was launched by Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover, the founders of frieze magazine, and is led by Victoria Siddall, global director of Frieze Fairs. Frieze Art Fair features more than 170 contemporary art galleries, and the fair also includes specially commissioned artists’ projects, a talks programme and an artist-led education schedule.
Opening Mar 24, 6 ~ 8 p.m., 2021 Public Days Mar 25 ~ Jun 13 Zoom Talk Mar 31, 8 p.m. HKT Venue Galerie du Monde, 108 Ruttonjee Centre, 11 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong
HONG KONG – Galerie du Monde is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Wu Chi-Tsung: Exposé, curated by Hong Kong based Ying Kwok. Wu’s work explores light and time, and ways to recreate traditional art forms and aesthetics without losing the spirit. In Exposé, curator Kwok leads us on a journey to discover the correlation between Wu’s Cyano-Collage series and these concepts.
Born in Taipei in 1981, Wu received his BFA in 2004 from the Taipei National University of the Arts, where his training from an early age in the practices of Chinese calligraphy, ink painting, watercolor and drawing were furthered. After decades of creating experimental ink paintings, Wu turned to photography, video and installations to apply his aesthetics in classical landscapes.
Wu created his first Cyano-Collage in 2015, a further development of the earlier Wrinkled Texture series which he started in 2012. Both series explore the process of “recording light” on Xuan paper (Chinese rice paper). From Wrinkled Texture to Cyano-Collage, Wu showed he could somehow manipulate the unpredictable, creating beautiful illustrations of the relationship between man and nature.
Wu began the Wrinkled Texture series with the intention to reinterpret the traditional Texturing method (Cun Fa) of Chinese landscape painting. Instead of using ink and brush, Wu utilizes a classical photographic technique – Cyanotype, to treat his Textures. Wu first soaks the Xuan paper with a photosensitive solution, and then exposes them to sunlight for 30 minutes, while at the same time crumbling and shaping the paper into various forms and wrinkles. This exposure process is random and uncontrollable as the light intensity and the sun’s angle is different every day, at every hour.
Cyano-Collage 094 will be exhibited at Exposé 《氰山集之九十四》將於《Exposé 現》中展出
The paper is then flattened and washed in a water tank in the studio for an hour to fixate the exposed textures. This is the most intriguing part of the entire process, as it is the moment when Wu sees the outcome – the different textures and possibilities. The treated paper becomes a record of time, light, and human gestures that is marked with folds and different shades of blue.
One out of dozens of treated Xuan paper is selected by the artist. At the beginning, Wu was focused on creating a dialogue with traditional Chinese landscapes. Thus, in that period, Wu selected images that remind him of classical landscape paintings by Chinese masters. Gradually, Wu developed other references – real life landscapes, nature, or abstract paintings. It could be anything. As Wu’s practice evolves, his imagination of this series of works transforms.
Rather than limiting himself to a single sheet of Xuan paper and uncontrollable compositions, Wu discovered a new way to create his imaginary scenery on a bigger scale through experimental collages. Each Cyano-Collage is composed of many pieces of Xuan paper, individually pasted onto the canvas by Wu, and then sealing each layer with acrylic gel before adding a new one. Sometimes, Wu adds plain white Xuan paper to create depth or to erase part of an image, leaving large areas of blank space in order for the subject to leap from the painting – this is one of the most important techniques in traditional Chinese painting, termed “Liu Bai”. Wu then finishes the painting with a UV-protection varnish for long-term preservation.
Xuan paper, also known as Chinese rice paper, is a very unique medium. Compared to drawing paper or watercolor paper, Xuan paper is much thinner, more absorbent and versatile. Hence, the artist could make lots of textures through repeated crumbling. Over the past decade, Wu has studied and experimented with several dozen types of rice paper, from different origins, with varied thickness, textures, and paper making process. Wu has saved all these testing papers in his studio, and he revisits them from time to time to “read” them again and find new inspirations. A selection of these raw materials will be presented to the public for the first time in Exposé.
Exposé, the second solo exhibition of Wu Chi-Tsung at Galerie du Monde, unveils the complicated and unpredictable process behind his Cyano-Collage through an immersive viewing experience. Whether it is a painting, an installation or a video, there is always a transparent aspect in Wu’s work. It is this honesty that is so inviting, allowing for such powerful bodies of work to be fully experienced by the audience. Wu’s practice also inspires us to carry on traditions and recreate new readings of classical techniques and aesthetics. Ancient or contemporary, they shall continue to cross-pollinate and together grow into a new realm.
On Mar 31st, an online artist talk was held between the artist and curator Ying Kwok when the duo shared their first meeting at the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art in Manchester back in 2011, and how they brainstormed, developed and presented this new project together at Galerie du Monde.
香港 － 世界畫廊（Galerie du Monde）將舉行台灣藝術家吳季璁於香港的第二場個展「現」。策展人郭瑛將引領觀眾揭開《氰山集》背後既繁複又偶然的創作過程，探索吳季璁與時間和光線之相搏鬥、磨合與交融的靜態作品。對吳季璁而言，光是他創作中的催化劑，而時間則是他的暗房。他以「時光」為手段，探索東西方傳統技法和媒材的可能性，以當代的視角延續中國水墨的美學精神，創造出連接不同文化、過去和現在的獨特藝術語言。
“A perfunctory gaze will perhaps write off Wu Chi-Tsung’s ‘Exposé’ exhibition as a simple series of mountainous landscapes; this perfunctory gaze would be wrong. Curated by Ying Kwok, ‘Exposé’ deep-dives into an extraordinary wrinkled-paper technique that mimics that of valleys, troughs and crevices; minute, natural-appearing details that would happen upon any geographic rendering. The textured cyano-collage process used, however, is completely randomised, with each fold and crease on Xuan paper a happy accident.”
In the recent exhibition review “10 Must-See Art Exhibitions In Hong Kong In April 2021“, Talter Hong Kong has listed “Exposé” as one of the must-see exhibitions in Hong Kong this April. Below is a quote from the report:
Cyanotype was invented to duplicate engineering drawings and was one of the first ways of creating photographic images in the 19th century.
But in 2012, Taiwanese artist Wu Chi-Tsung invented his own cyanotype process by crushing the light sensitive paper, exposing it to light and flattening it. This creates an illusion of traditional Chinese landscape painting when, in fact, it’s Wu’s contemporary interpretation of landscape paintings.
Exposé, curated by Ying Kwok, showcases Wu’s Cyano-Collage series and explores its relationship to traditional art and aesthetics.
March 25 to June 16. Galerie du Monde, 108 Ruttonjee Centre, 11 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong. Find out more at galeriedumonde.com
We are proud to share that Wu Chi-Tsung has made a contribution to the Asian Cultural Council (ACC). By donating the proceeds of Cyano-Collage 082 in collaboration with the Sean Kelly Gallery, he wishes to express his gratitude to the long-term generous support of ACC.
The Asian Cultural Council has supported cultural exchange programs for practicing artists, scholars, and arts professionals since 1963. In 2013, Wu Chi-Tsung was granted a six-month ACC Fellowship to travel from Taipei to research contemporary art practices in New York. During his fellowship, Chi-Tsung deepened his awareness of diverse cultural and artistic practices and has further developed his multi-cultural and timeless art language ever since.
About Asian Cultural Council
The Asian Cultural Council advances international dialogue, understanding, and respect through cultural exchange activities in Asia and the United States to create a more harmonious and peaceful world. This mission is accomplished through fellowships and other programs that support individual artists, scholars, and arts professionals.
To date, ACC has supported over 6,000 exchanges across 26 countries and regions, and 16 artistic disciplines. As a grantmaking and grantseeking organization, ACC raises funds from individual, foundation, and corporate donors. ACC also convenes arts leaders, fostering dialogue around the importance of cultural exchange in developing understanding and respect across international and cultural borders.
Wu Chi-Tsung with fellow grantees in New York in 2013 2013年，吳季璁與其他ACC受獎人在美國紐約
自1963年起，亞洲文化協會（Asia Art Council，後簡稱ACC）持續資助亞洲藝術家、學者與從業者的各項文化交流活動。2013年，吳季璁獲得了來自ACC的駐地支持，在紐約進行了為期六個月的駐村活動。紐約多元的文化氛圍豐富了他對於藝術的理解，也啟發了他此後的創作，超越區域文化和時代性的限制。為了支持這個深具啟發性的國際交流計畫，吳季璁近日與尚凱利畫廊合作，向ACC捐贈了《氰山集之八十二》的銷售收入，期待能夠藉此鼓勵與支援年輕藝術家的藝術創作與國際發展。
Cyano-Collage 024 at Art Basel Hong Kong in 2018 《氰山集之二十四》於2018年巴塞爾藝術展香港展會展出現場
We are honored to share that Wu Chi-Tsung’s Cyano-Collage 024was acquired by the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco (AAM), one of the world’s finest collections of Asian art located in the U.S.
Cyano-Collage 024 was the featured artwork for Wu Chi-Tsung’s solo exhibition, presented by Galerie du Monde, at Art Basel Hong Kong 2018, where it made its debut. In 2019, when he was awarded the winner of the inaugural Liu Kuo-Sung Ink Art Award, this work was the piece selected for exhibition.
Scaled 180 x 360 cm, the Cyano-Collage 024 was the artist’s first attempt on such a considerable dimension on a single panel. It took him several months to conduct experiments from selecting papers that involve interesting details to connecting them into a poetic scenery. Besides, it was the first time that he challenged a dual-color composition, which contributed to a deepened depth of field.
Cyano-Collage 024 was exhibited at the Liu Kuo-Sung Ink Award, 2019 《氰山集之二十四》於2019劉國松水墨藝術大獎中展出
On acquiring the Cyano-Collage 024, the Asian Art Museum organized an online event that allows art-lovers to learn more about the production process of the work, as well as the artist behind it.
In conversation with Senior Associate Curator and Head of Contemporary Art Abby Chen, Wu Chi-Tsung presented a virtual tour of his Taipei studio through this video, a brief introduction of his life as an international artist who has studios in Taipei, Berlin and Saigon, and a thorough demonstration of the process and behind-the-scene stories of the Cyano-Collage Series.
Studio team in Taipei after the online event 工作室團隊於活動現場
Poems about shadow | Interview with artist Wu Chi-Tsung
Recently, Wu Chi-Tsung was interview by the DFUN magazine, a magazine featuring design, architecture, fashion and art based in Taiwan. The report features Wu Chi-Tsung’s unique aesthetic in his works featuring light and shadow, and how the artist has been using them to transform the exhibition space into a poetic world. The report was published on the 2020 Spring issue of the magazine.
The report introduces Wu Chi-Tsung’s exploration of working on various media as an international artist traveling among his studios in Taipei, Berlin and Saigon. Next, Wu Chi-Tsung shares his experience in the installation Edge of Light that he cooperated with Chen Shu-Chiang. Scaled 30 meters long and 10 meters wide, it took great effort to have the work installed in an abandoned train garage. By doing this, the artists have created an immersive experience for the audience allowing them to fully appreciate the magic of light and shadows. In the end, speaking of the relationship of light and shadow, Wu Chi-Tsung states that ‘light is the fundamental fact for us to perceive the world, and shadow metaphorizes or visualizes the substantiality of materials’.
Recently, Wu Chi-Tsung was invited by Sean Kelly Gallery to shoot a short video namedIn the Studio. In this abstract yet frank video, Wu Chi-Tsung presents a poetic dance with one of his favorite materials – light. Employing long-exposures, he is visualising the battles and joys in search of inspiration as he follows the guidance of a beam of light in his once pitch-dark studio.
Let there be light. For Wu Chi-Tsung, light is the catalyst in his art, and time devoted in his darkroom allows beauty to gently appear. British video artist David Hall coined the term ‘time-based art’ in 1972, which refers to the art forms that require a certain amount of time to be fully revealed. While the concept was devised with traditional art forms such as paintings and sculptures in mind, and also emphasized the duration of time and the scale in space, Wu Chi-Tsung tends to interpret it in a reversed way. He deliberately uses time as a tool to blur the boundary between new media art and traditional art and to redefine moving and still images.
Long Time Exposed Landscape, 2004 長時間曝光的風景,2004
The necessity of long exposure is shared in most of Wu Chi-Tsung’s still works, such as the Cyano-Collage Series, the Wrinkled Texture Series, and the Long Time Exposed Landscape. Therefore, these works all contain a considerable scale of time and momentum. They have become a living fossil in which a complete time axis is fused together.
In Chinese, the phrase that represents a long period of time is Shiguang (時光), which is a combination of the words for Time (時) and Light (光). The considerable time that Wu Chi-Tsung spends battling with, adapting to, and coping with time and light is a key feature of his works. He tends to focus on simple techniques and daily objects, still he devotes himself to research time and light and applying his learnings to the original material and turning it into something completely different from, and even opposite to, commonplace perceptions.
Wu Chi-Tsung tend to transfer daily objects into poetic sceneries of Eastern aesthetics 宣紙在陽光下呈現出屋漏痕般的自然筆法
As one of the furthest-developed works so far, the Cyano-Collage Series demands a large amount of ‘exposed paper’ for paper-reading and collage. As hours of sunlight reacts with the cyanotype chemistry on the Xuan paper, the ordinary wrinkles on the paper transcend their physical features and gain a similar spiritual quality as in traditional ink painting. After this, the artist observes the textures and folds of every paper, to ‘read’ and contemplate them, and pick the ones that evoke and inspire the artist the most. For this precious ‘decisive moment’, which is almost one in a hundred, processing and storing paper have become a daily routine.
For his installation and video works that are more qualified to be called ‘time-based art’, time seems to be wasted or irrelevant. It moves forward, yet sometimes cycles; it goes by, yet sometimes stalls. As a reversed interpretation of time involving the artist’s understanding of Asian philosophies, these works have contributed to the complicity of the artist’s exploration of temporality. For instance, the Still Life Series, the Landscape in the Mist Series, and the Dust share a similar sense of stillness, in effect an almost nerdy gaze. Although these works last up to ten minutes, the visual message conveyed by the film tends to be relatively monolithic, as if they are a still frame stretched to fit a time axis. Nevertheless, it is exactly the seemingly meaningless gaze and the ostensibly wasted time that reveals the artist’s obsessed fascination and adamant aestheticism towards the object before the camera. Give it time.
The Dust at Light Interdiction, Kunstfest Weimar 2019 in Germany 2019年《灰塵》於德國威瑪藝術節展出現場
近日，吳季璁受尚凱利畫廊之邀，拍攝了短片《在工作室（In the Studio）》。這段抽象而坦誠的影像堪稱吳季璁與光共同呈現的雙人舞，他通過長時間曝光的技法將自己在創作中找尋靈感的過程具象化為獨自在漆黑的工作室中跟隨一線微光的指引摸索前進。
Wu Chi-Tsung shares his daily musings about working and staying motivated during this difficult time from his studio in Taipei, Taiwan as he participates in the #inthestudio program launched by @seankellyny.
In this abstract yet frank video, Wu Chi-Tsung presents a poetic duet dance with one of his favorite material, the light. Together they’ve challenged the boundary between moving and static images. Once again, Chi-Tsung explores how joyful and imaginative the relationship between an artist and his studio could be.
HOW ARTISTS ARE DEALING WITH THE PANDEMIC: INTERVIEWS WITH WU CHI-TSUNG AND HSI SHIH-PIN AT THEIR STUDIOS
Recently, Wu Chi-Tsung was interviewed by Artco on ‘how artists are dealing with the pandemic’. He shares that the studio is taking this opportunity to optimize the administrative and production management, as well as start reserving materials and equipment in advance in case there will be a further lockdown in Taiwan. Also, Wu Chi-Tsung is grateful that his studio has been in a healthy financial status thanks to the help and suggestions of their accountant, which ensured the normal operation studio during the special time.
Besides, Wu Chi-Tsung also stressed the importance of health to an artist. He has been working out in his studio during the closure of public gyms.
On May 4th, Wu Chi-Tsung was invited by Taipei Dangdai and held a virtual tour that allows audiences to have a close look at his Taipei studio.
The live stream program is part of the ‘Taipei Connections’, a digital platform launched by Taipei Dangdai in partnership with Ocula aiming to nurture ongoing connections between the Taiwanese arts community and galleries at this time of limited travel and in-person meetings. Bringing together a diverse mix of galleries from Taipei Dangdai’s latest edition, the inaugural Taipei Connections will showcase a series of richly contextualized artworks for the public to explore.
During the 55-minutes-long live stream, Wu Chi-Tsung and Taipei Dangdai Co-Directer Robin Peckham showed people around his studio and talked about Wu Chi-Tsung’s internationally-minded prospects of the studio.
Recently, Wu Chi-Tsung has set up a new studio in collaboration with Vietnamese artist Cam Xanh in Saigon, Vietnam as a significant step of his internationally-minded exploration. Speaking of his third studio after Taipei and Berlin, Wu Chi-Tsung says, ‘I’m curious about the early stage of an art world, such as in Vietnam, everything happens and develops rapidly. I am grateful to witness and be part of this great historical moment as a member of this intimate and energetic community.’
Chi-Tsung met Cam Xanh in Korea in 2016 on the Asia Young 36 exhibition and was later invited by her for an artist residency in MoT+++ which she co-founded. During the residency, the space was presented as superimposition and coincidence of the two sites – Wu Chi-Tsung’s studio and a public art space – that opens to the public and enable the viewers to see the working progress. This year, inspired by this experience, Wu Chi-Tsung’s Taipei Studio managed a residency program for Italian artist Saverio Tonoli and conducted their collaborated event.
Lately, Saverio Toloni is now resides at A. Farm Saigon, an international artist-in-residency space established by Cam Xanh and run by MoT+++ and San Art teams.
Shooting scene of the Still Life Series in 2019 《小品系列》2019年拍攝現場
Besides, Wu Chi-Tsung relates to the context of postcolonial criticism and self-reflection towards its cultural identity in Vietnamese art. Last year, Wu Chi-Tsung shot new Still Life Series in Vietnam inspired by local culture and nature. Among them, the Still Life 012 — Buttercup tree was collected by the Nguyen Art Foundation.
Wu Chi-Tsung’s Wire V is now on view in the group exhibition Password 0~1 at the studio. Due to the restrictions during the pandemic, please contact [email protected] for visiting details and to make appointments. Moreover, please visit the online +1 trash to see more MoT+++ collections.
Established in 2018, the Nguyen Art Foundation was born from a desire to better serve the artistic community of Vietnam. It was founded by Quynh Nguyen, under the advisory of Cam Xanh (pseudonym of Thanh Tran Ha), artist and founder of MoT+++. Since its conception, the foundation has worked to build an alternative infrastructure for the arts in Vietnam, and construct the base for what it hopes will form Vietnam’s first museum of contemporary art. The foundation aims to expand the possibilities for contemporary art in Vietnam by facilitating global exchange that enriches not only individual practices, but engages the overall growth of the Vietnamese art scene.
The Still Life 012 – Buttercup Tree was shot during Wu Chi-Tsung’s residency at MoT+++ in 2019, and was inspired by the local culture and nature of Vietnam.
We both found our inspirations from the other side of the world
Installation view of “Beyond the Now, Away from Here” in Wu Chi-Tsung Studio
T= Saverio Tonoli W = Wu Chi-Tsung
How did you know
each other?
T: We met in an opening
studio event, 2017 in Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany. Walking through
the studios, Chi-Tsung’s work caught my eye immediately as I was looking for
someone who also uses Xuan paper like I do. Paper became our main topic for the
rest of the night. The rest came spontaneously: we kept in touch, visited each
other’s studio and did a project in Berlin together. We already had the idea of
this residency program since 2018, and finally managed to execute it now.
W: From the very
beginning, we were talking about Xuan paper. Every time I visit Saverio, I
always bring a different kind of Xuan paper for him to test the material, and
eventually I came up with the idea to invite him to Taiwan so
that he could have a period of time to research more about Xuan paper.
I learned that the
title of this exhibition ‘Beyond the Now, Away from Here’ comes up
from your discussion. How would you two interpret it?
T: Both of us revisit
traditional techniques in our art practice. Other than works on paper, I
developed a variation of the Fresco – mural painting, making it more simple to
paint and install and at the same time to enhance its freedom of movement. This
gave us the input to to transform the studio space through our artworks and
question the “here and now”, working on time and space.
W: We hope to present a detached experience to the audiences that merge the culture of Europe and Asia, and art practices of classic and contemporary. Our idea is to combine all the things to have a new dialogue.
(To Chi-Tsung) Is
this the first time you open your studio to the public for an exhibition?
W: We would like to take
the opportunity of the Taipei Dangdai Art Fair that brings international
audiences and professionals to Taiwan. This year, we want to do something new
in our studio and host a party here in order to directly meet people. Moreover,
I hope that we could show the possibilities of what artist studios could do and
how exhibitions could be to the Taiwanese art world. At the moment, most
artwork you see in Taiwan are completed and displayed in white cubes and
visiting artist studios is always considered to be private. However, I think
that art is about the whole thing and can’t be concluded by the final “art
piece” only. We want to open our studio to let everyone see the art
practice. This time, we will divide the studio into different functions
on different floors during the exhibition, and make this space like an
alternative space with abundant content. It would give people a special
experience of the art-making.
(To Chi-Tsung) How do you consider
the role and possibility of an artist studio in the art world?
W: To host an artist residency program as an artist studio ourselves this time, I am inspired by my residency experience in MoT+++, Vietnam, the director of which herself is also an artist. At that time, we turned the exhibition space into a studio-like environment, and the exhibition was more like an open studio. It was a very interesting concept and I received many positive feedbacks.
The position of
artist studios has changed a lot in a few decades. Nowadays you see more and
more artist studios getting bigger with multi-functions. It is not only a space for simply
producing art, but a center to form the networks in the art
world. Compared with institutions, the artist studio could gain more
independence and flexibility in communications and executions. Besides, we are
proud that we are financially independent so as to make things happen.
Hopefully our experience could inspire other people and contribute to the
diversity of the Taiwanese art world.
(To Saverio) We saw on your Instagram that
you’re working on new works for this exhibition. Are they inspired by your
experience during the residency in Taiwan? If so, what are they?
T: Normally I enjoy working alone and consider the status of isolation
essential for me. Finding materials and new providers, joining a talkative
unknown group of artists, having to limit your working space and adhere to
inevitable social conventions makes it challenging to recreate the proper
working conditions. But this one is more of a private collaboration residency:
I get a lot of support from the studio and plenty of isolation! Besides, Taiwan
is beautiful free country with amazing landscapes and fruits.
Parallel
my ongoing development on abstraction in painting, my work brought me here to
study ink tradition and research on paper. With the expertise of FENKO
Catalysis Chamber (www.fenko.com.tw) – one
of the most important material lab in
Taiwan producing paper – I can
push to extreme ways some treatments on paper, with gravity and folds. I am
looking forward to the exhibition to share my journey with international
audiences.
(To Saverio) How
was your cooperation with FENKO?
T: FENKO expands the use of paper in many different fields, one of which is the open collaboration with artists, and they research endlessly new materials and possibilities. FENKO’s expertise has been very precious to me, from consulting wide range of paper materials, packaging to paper preservation. Together we’ve found a perfectly suitable paper for one of my main works in the show, Self-absorbed on the rocks, painted on the cliffs of the Yilan coast of Taiwan. In this work, the large roll of paper is made wet and folded into the structure of the cliff, then ink-washed to extract its structure, volume and essence. At the last stage in the studio the paper is washed and flatten again. It is not hard to imagine that this specific work needs a very strong and flexible paper, due to the extreme treatment it undergoes on sharp rocks and having to be folded, washed and dried several times. The absorbing qualities of the paper is also very important. The paper has been designed for this purpose. My collaboration with FENKO will continue for three other pieces of the series, one of which will be performed in the following weeks on the south Vietnamese coast.
Saverio with Paper & Conservation Consultancy Szuhan Wang and director Lino Lee from FENKO Catalysis Chamber
Clearly both of you
are experts on media and materials, and you both have interests in natural
phenomena and daily objects. However, you reach art through the opposite route:
Chi-Tsung learned painting first and get in touch with photography later in
college; whereas Saverio grew up with photography and later experiment with
painting and other media. How do you think about each other’s art?
What would you say about the similarities and differences between
your art?
T: Our attitude towards
art is similar, nothing strictly political, social or personal but “beyond” and
“away”. Everything in our art is about matter and perception. As we work with
similar materials, we often discuss certain techniques and difficulties we
encounter. For example, we both mount Xuan paper on canvas which differs from
the tradition, so we always discuss how to mount and coat.
W: I think that the most interesting and fundamental part of both of us is that we are both painters, that is to say, our mentalities are both based on paintings. And we are both interested in water-based things. I use western techniques to express eastern sceneries, and Saverio is into eastern materials. We both found our inspiration from the other side of the world. I think this kind of connection is beautiful.
Nevertheless, the
direction of how we approach art is different. I don’t do ‘painting painting’.
My priority in art is media art, but I use
painting as a mentality to meditate on everything while Saverio deals with
painting itself.
T: Yes. My starting point was to work with my dad
in the darkroom in our garage, where he showed me how the image is revealed.
From then I started to substitute light with ink, with Italian materials,
eastern materials etc. I always see the possibilities of painting in
photography. When I work digitally on images with photoshop, I regard it as an
alternative way of painting. )
I suppose it’s going
to be the first exhibition you attend in 2020. Do you have any new year
resolution on art, or to say, what would you like to explore more in the
following year?
T: In this year,
Inspired by my experience here I’m would like to open a second studio in
Taipei, I’m working on it. After joining another residency in Saigon by A.Farm
I will come back to Berlin in June and begin to understand what I have
experienced in Asia during this months. Exploration will go on as usual.
W: It has been 20 years
since I entered university in 1999. I started the studio three years ago and we
have made amazing achievements. I have been focused on my art outside Taiwan
and would love to be considered as an international artist rather than a
Taiwanese artist. I wish this experience of working
internationally with my studio could be a model to share with the art world in
Taiwan in the near future. Moreover, I look forward to launch more collaboration programs and to make use of the
resources we have in Taipei, Berlin and Saigon. We have much to share about our
network and experience in these three cities.
Interviewed and translated by Wang Tianyi Planning and Proofread by Julian Chu
薩：鳳嬌在許多不同的領域開拓了紙張的用途，他們其中的一個嘗試便是與藝術家的合作，研究新的材料和可能性。本次，鳳嬌身為紙材顧問，為我在選紙、包裝和紙張保存方面提供了非常多寶貴的建議。我在鳳嬌的協助下，為這次展覽最主要的作品之一《Self-absorbed on the rocks》找到了理想的紙材，這幅作品是我將宣紙鋪佈在宜蘭海岸的峭壁上進行創作的。在岩壁上，我將大捲宣紙浸濕，將之按照岩壁的紋理折疊，再用墨水染色令岩壁的紋理、質感與量體在紙面顯現。最後，回到工作室後，宣紙被水洗並壓平。可想而知，這樣的處理工序對宣紙的強韌性與靈活性都有極高的要求，這樣才能受得了尖銳岩壁、多次折疊、浸濕與乾燥等極端技法。紙張的吸水性也非常重要，而這次使用的紙則完美滿足了上述要求。我還會在將來的三件作品中繼續與鳳嬌進行合作，其中一件我將在未來幾周內在越南南部海岸完成創作。
《Self-absorbed on the rocks》創作過程，使用鳳嬌的薄頁麻紙（ABA Lean Natural）
T= Saverio Tonoli W = Wu Chi-Tsung 薩＝薩維里奧・托諾利， 吳＝吳季璁
How did you know each other?
T: We met in an opening studio event, 2017 in Künstlerhaus
Bethanien, Berlin, Germany. Walking through the studios, Chi-Tsung’s work
caught my eye immediately as I was looking for someone who also uses Xuan paper
like I do. Paper became our main topic for the rest of the night. The rest came
spontaneously: we kept in touch, visited each other’s studio and did a project
in Berlin together. We already had the idea of this residency program since
2018, and finally managed to execute it now.
W: From the very beginning, we were talking about Xuan paper.
Every time I visit Saverio, I always bring a different kind of Xuan paper for
him to test the material, and eventually I came up with the idea to invite him to Taiwan so that
he could have a period of time to research more about Xuan paper.
I learned that the title of this exhibition ‘Beyond the
Now, Away from Here’ comes up from your discussion. How would you two
interpret it?
T: Both of us revisit traditional techniques in our art
practice. Other than works on paper, I developed a variation of the Fresco –
mural painting, making it more simple to paint and install and at the same time
to enhance its freedom of movement. This gave us the input to to transform the
studio space through our artworks and question the “here and now”, working on
time and space.
W: We hope to present a detached experience to the audiences that merge the culture of Europe and Asia, and art practices of classic and contemporary. Our idea is to combine all the things to have a new dialogue.
(To Chi-Tsung) Is this the first time you open your studio to the
public for an exhibition?
W: We would like to take the opportunity of the Taipei Dangdai Art
Fair that brings international audiences and professionals to Taiwan. This
year, we want to do something new in our studio and host a party here in order
to directly meet people. Moreover, I hope that we could show the possibilities
of what artist studios could do and how exhibitions could be to the Taiwanese
art world. At the moment, most artwork you see in Taiwan are completed and
displayed in white cubes and visiting artist studios is always considered to be
private. However, I think that art is about the whole thing and can’t be
concluded by the final “art piece” only. We want to open our studio to let
everyone see the art practice. This time, we will divide the studio into
different functions on different floors during the exhibition, and make this
space like an alternative space with abundant content. It would give people a
special experience of the art-making.
(To Chi-Tsung) How do you
consider the role and possibility of an artist studio in the art world?
To host an artist residency program as an artist studio ourselves
this time, I am inspired by my residency experience in MoT+++, Vietnam, the
director of which herself is also an artist. At that time, we turned the
exhibition space into a studio-like environment, and the exhibition was more
like an open studio. It was a very interesting concept and I received many
positive feedbacks.
The position of artist studios has changed a lot in a few
decades. Nowadays you see more and more artist studios getting bigger with
multi-functions. It is
not only a space for simply
producing art, but a center to
form the networks in the art world. Compared with institutions, the
artist studio could gain more independence and flexibility in communications
and executions. Besides, we are proud that we are financially independent so as
to make things happen. Hopefully our experience could inspire other people and
contribute to the diversity of the Taiwanese art world.
(To Saverio) We saw on your
Instagram that you’re working on new works for this exhibition. Are they
inspired by your experience during the residency in Taiwan? If so,
what are they?
T: Normally I enjoy working alone and consider the status
of isolation essential for me. Finding materials and new providers, joining a
talkative unknown group of artists, having to limit your working space and
adhere to inevitable social conventions makes it challenging to recreate the
proper working conditions. But this one is more of a private collaboration
residency: I get a lot of support from the studio and plenty of isolation!
Besides, Taiwan is beautiful free country with amazing landscapes and fruits.
Parallel my ongoing development on abstraction in painting,
my work brought me here to study ink tradition and research on paper. With the
expertise of FENKO Catalysis Chamber – one of the most important Labs in Taiwan
producing paper – I can push to extreme ways some treatments on paper, with
gravity and folds. I am looking forward to the exhibition to share my journey
with international audiences.
Saverio Working on the Cliffs of I-Lan Coast of Taiwan, Photo Credit: Sylvia Lee 薩維里奧於宜蘭海岸創作，圖/ Sylvia Lee
(To Saverio) How was your cooperation with FENKO?
FENKO expands the use of paper in many different fields, one of which is the open collaboration with artists,
and they research endlessly new materials and possibilities. FENKO’s expertise has been very
precious to me, from suggesting materials, packaging to
paper preservation.
Together we’ve found a perfectly suitable paper for one of my main works in the show,
Self-absorbed on the rocks,
painted on the cliffs of the I-Lan coast of Taiwan. In this work, the large roll of paper is made wet and
folded into the structure of the cliff, then ink-washed to extract its
structure, volume and essence. At the last stage in the studio the paper is
washed and flatten again. It is not hard to imagine that
this specific work needs a very strong and flexible paper, due to the extreme
treatment it undergoes on sharp rocks and having to be folded, washed and dried several times. The absorbing qualities of the paper is also very
important. The paper has been designed for this purpose.
My collaboration with FENKO will
continue for three other pieces of the series, one of which will be performed
in the following weeks on the south Vietnamese coast.
鳳嬌在許多不同的領域開拓了紙張的用途，他們其中的一個嘗試便是與藝術家的合作，研究新的材料和可能性。本次，鳳嬌為我在選紙、包裝和紙張保存方面提供了非常多寶貴的建議。我在鳳嬌的幫助下，為這次展覽最主要的一件作品之一《Self-absorbed on the rocks》找到了理想的紙張，這幅作品是我將宣紙鋪佈在宜蘭海岸的峭壁上進行創作的。在岩壁上，我將大捲宣紙浸濕，將之按照岩壁的紋理折疊，再用墨水染色令岩壁的紋理、質感與量體在紙面顯現。最後，回到工作室後，宣紙被水洗並壓平。可想而知，這樣的處理工序對宣紙的強韌性與靈活性都有極高的要求，這樣才能受得了尖銳岩壁、多次折疊、浸濕與乾燥等極端技法。紙張的吸水性也非常重要，而這次使用的紙則完美滿足了上述要求。我還會在將來的三件作品中繼續與鳳嬌進行合作，其中一件我將在未來幾周內在越南南部海岸完成創作。
Saverio discussing with paper specialists from FENKO, photo credit: Julian Chu 薩維里奧與鳳嬌催化室的紙類專家交流，圖/ 朱莉安
Clearly both of you are experts on media and materials, and you
both have interests in natural phenomena and daily objects. However, you reach
art through the opposite route: Chi-Tsung learned painting first and get in
touch with photography later in college; whereas Saverio grew up with
photography and later experiment with painting and other media. How do you
think about each other’s art? What would you say about the
similarities and differences between your art?
T: Our attitude towards art is similar, nothing strictly
political, social or personal but “beyond” and “away”. Everything in our art is
about matter and perception. As we work with similar materials, we often
discuss certain techniques and difficulties we encounter. For example, we both
mount Xuan paper on canvas which differs from the tradition, so we always
discuss how to mount and coat.
W: I think that the most interesting and fundamental part of both
of us is that we are both painters, that is to say, our mentalities are both
based on paintings. And we are both interested in water-based things. I use
western techniques to express eastern sceneries, and Saverio is into eastern
materials. We both found our inspiration from the other side of the world. I think this kind of
connection is beautiful.
Nevertheless, the direction of how we approach art is different. I
don’t do ‘painting painting’. My priority in art is media art, but I use painting as a
mentality to meditate on everything while Saverio deals with painting itself.
T: Yes. My starting point was to work with my dad
in the darkroom in our garage, where he showed me how the image is revealed.
From then I started to substitute light with ink, with Italian materials,
eastern materials etc. I always see the possibilities of painting in
photography. When I work digitally on images with photoshop, I regard it as an
alternative way of painting. )
I suppose it’s going to be the first exhibition you attend in
2020. Do you have any new year resolution on art, or to say, what would you
like to explore more in the following year?
T: In this year, Inspired by my experience here I’m would like to
open a second studio in Taipei, I’m working on it. After joining another
residency in Saigon by A.Farm I will come back to Berlin in June and begin to
understand what I have experienced in Asia during this months. Exploration will
go on as usual.
W: It has been 20 years since I entered university in 1999. I
started the studio three years ago and we have made amazing achievements. I
have been focused on my art outside Taiwan and would love to be considered as
an international artist rather than a Taiwanese artist. I wish this experience of working internationally
with my studio could be a model to share with the art world in Taiwan in the
near future. Moreover, I look forward to launch more collaboration programs and to make use of the resources we
have in Taipei, Berlin and Saigon. We have much to share about our network and
experience in these three cities.
Cyano-Collage 077 is on display in Galerie du Monde, Hong Kong
Date Mar 5 – Apr 18, 2020 Artists Fong Chung-Ray, Michael Müller, Wesley Tongson, Juan Uslé, Wang Gongyi, Wu Chi-Tsung, Stella Zhang Art Basel Online Viewing Room: Mar 18 – 25, 2020，click here to view Venue 108 Ruttonjee Centre, 11 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong
The exhibition showcases a diverse group of seven abstract artists, in exploration of the artistic dialogue between the East and the West in the postwar era and the growing acuteness of cross-cultural exchange. Covering multiple generations from the 1960s to the present, Galerie du Monde presents the exchange between Euro-American abstraction and East Asian art and philosophy, featuring the pioneer ink artist from Taiwan’s Fifth Moon Group – Fong Chung-Ray, lyrical abstract painters – Juan Uslé from Spain and Wang Gongyi from China; conceptual artists – Michael Müller from Germany and Stella Zhang from China; and young Taiwanese multimedia artist – Wu Chi-Tsung.
This time, Chi-Tsung’s most recent exploration of the Cyano-Collage Series, the Cyano-Collage 77, will be debuted, in which he challenged himself again to render the composition in round. Embracing the aesthetics of both traditional Chinese still life painting and the Tondo (circular art) that peaked in 15th Century Renaissance Italy, it adventurously broadened the possibilities of the series with its deft interpretation of the East-West nexus.
