Hong Kong, December 10, 2015 – January 16, 2016, http://www.hanart.com/
A group show with many artists, which stood out by its attempt to create a space reminiscent of a Chinese literati “reading room”. Small tables with books and chairs were placed throughout the exhibition space. The works were primarily drawing on the Chinese culture circuit, from ink drawings to jewelry resembling miniature scholar’s rocks. Yet most of the work has been contemporary, and thus at closer look current concerns and materials have penetrated inside of the works, e.g. plastic spoon handles in Nortse’s work or Hong Kong tycoon’s portraits in Wong Chun Yu’s ink-and-gold rendering of the Victoria Harbour skyline.
This show was in an interesting dialogue with the Gagosian “The Shape of Time” show two floors above. Both shows presented a large number of various products, trying to bridge epochs and styles. Gagosian did it on a top tier level of the art market, and works were presented in a very clean white cube environment, with security guards peeking over your shoulder. At Hanart the focus was on local and regional artists, and while the space was still a white cube, the inclusion of furniture (to be sat on, again, in contrast to the Ming furniture to be only observed with reverence in the Gagosian show) as well as furniture-like artworks (a large display cabinet with jewelry, and the sculptures-lanterns by Lee Man Sang), gave it a welcoming and homey atmosphere, while still keeping a very dignified and sober atmosphere suitable for viewing the artworks on display.