紀念的形狀—鄧啓耀個展 The Shape of Monuments—Frank Tang solo exhibition

藝術家 Artist｜鄧啓耀 Frank Tang
策展人 Curator｜黃嘉淇 Alice Wong
展覽日期Duration｜2024.06.12(Wed.)-07.21(Sun.)
開幕Opening｜2024.6.15 15:00
座談Forum｜2024.6.15 15:30
與談人Panelist｜謝宇婷 Yu-Ting Hsieh

紀念碑的製作、豎立、保存和詮釋模式所反映的往往只是一群人的信念和價值判斷，而紀念建築、紀念碑、以至紀念植物的外形都盛載著創作者或委約者對某事物的想像，他們將反省、教悔、追憶、思念等無形的概念與情感化成有形的存在，再因著這些紀念碑的具體形象影響著後人對這些事物的認知和印象。然而，隨著時代的轉變，新知識的塑造，紀念碑作為載體所盛載的意義都可以被重新演繹，甚至被推翻。

鄧啓耀常以不同的製圖方式作為視覺呈現，描畫歷史建築、地標、雕像、古樹等紀念物。是次展覽除了展出藝術家2022至2023年在臺灣駐留考察期間及往後創作的全新作品，也展示他近幾年為香港不同歷史建築及紀念公園而創作的圖錄。這些作品皆以地方的歷史、景貌與人民生活為背景，以製圖的方式記下紀念物的形態、形狀，並將這些景色、事情和物件組織成各種關連與情感，將「紀念」的行動置於當前現代社會及當代藝術的脈絡中作思考。

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, ＆#039;The Shape of Monuments＆#039;, 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.

▋藝術家簡歷 Artist’s Biography
鄧啓耀從城市生活當中尋找人與大自然的痕跡，並將其微渺的關係帶到創作。其創作經常結合不同媒介的運用，包括水墨、錄像、聲音和跨媒體表演等。 近年，他專注研究以製作地圖作為呈現形式，探討地緣政治、社會文化景觀和對地形現實的議題。作品系列「印象紀錄」、「口袋公園」、「聽得見的城市」探討香港和其他地區的城市景觀、歷史建築和空間研究，展示景物背後有關殖民化、城市化，以及特定歷史事件對地方面貌造成的改變。

鄧氏於2010年畢業於香港浸會大學視覺藝術院（榮譽）文學士，2023年於香港中文大學取得藝術碩士學位。 他曾參展香港大館「墨城」（2021）、臺灣桃園市兒童美術館「優墨」（2021）、 亞洲協會香港中心「尋林覓趣」（2019） 、香港藝術中心及比利時Les Halles de Schaerbee合辦的「香港味道」（2016）、德國蓋爾森基興美術館的中國八項目「Tradition Today – Ink Painting and Calligraphy」（2015）。 其作品見於德國、瑞士、比利時、日本、臺灣和香港的各個藝術館、藝術機構和畫廊。

個人展覽包括：「風樹不靜」（凱倫偉伯畫廊，香港，2023）「鄧啓耀個展 — De-」（寶藏巖國際藝術村，臺北，2022）、「你在此」（安全口畫廊，香港，2022）、「我回來了」（安全口畫廊，香港，2017）、「From 4am To 10pm」（K11 chi art space，香港，2016）、「無名山水」（臺灣高雄藝術博覽會，臺灣，2015）、「鄧啓耀：外出一會」（connecting space，香港，2015）。

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).


▋主辦單位Presented by
絕對空間
Absolute Space for the Arts

▋空間營運贊助 Space Sponsorship
國藝會
National Culture and Arts Foundation

▋展覽補助 Exhibition Sponsorship
台南市政府文化局、國藝會
Cultural Affairs Bureau, Tainan City Government., National Culture and Arts Foundation

▋資助 Supported by
香港藝術發展局
Hong Kong Arts Development Council